2 teens arrested after group boarded, operated unoccupied subway train; 4 still sought, police say

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Monday, February 3, 2025
2 teens arrested after group boarded, operated unoccupied subway train; 4 still sought, police say
Two teenagers were arrested on Monday after a group was caught on camera breaking into an unoccupied R subway train in Brooklyn, police said.

BROOKLYN (WABC) -- Two teenagers were arrested on Monday after a group was caught on camera breaking into an unoccupied R subway train in Brooklyn, police said.

Four teenagers are still being sought.

Police said a youth officer identified the 15-year-old at James Madison High School in Midwood where he attends school.

A 17-year-old was also arrested and charges are pending against both teens.

Police originally identified the station as Forest Hills-71 Avenue subway station in Queens, but upon further investigation, it was determined to be 36th Street and 4th Avenue in Brooklyn.

Authorities said the six people got inside the train before briefly operating it and then vandalizing some of the glass panels on the train's camera before running off.

Last week, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said multiple failures led to the six suspects moving the unoccupied R train from a storage yard.

"What happened here is not acceptable, failure of the security in the layup area, as far as I'm concerned, I'm burned about this, for the riders and all of us," Lieber said.

On Monday, the NYC Transit President Demetrius Crishlow released a statement on the arrests of the teens.

"Breaking into and moving subway cars is dangerous, illegal, and will not be tolerated. We thank the NYPD for capturing these perpetrators who not only put their own lives at risk but also riders and transit workers. Those hooligan games cannot happen, and that's why we've stepped up security at key transit locations and are actively exploring new technologies to prevent access and control of the operator's cab, including biometric verification."


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