NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Two teen boys were arrested on Monday after a group of kids took an unoccupied Brooklyn subway train on a joyride last month, the NYPD said.
The boys, ages 15 and 17, were arrested in Brooklyn and charged with reckless endangerment, criminal trespass and criminal mischief, officials said. The younger teen is also charged with possession of burglary tools.
Police said that at about 10:20 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25, six people entered an unoccupied R train secured on a lay-up truck at the 36th Street subway station in Greenwood Heights.
The group proceeded to operate the train, taking it for a short joyride for an unknown distance. Authorities said that the suspects also damaged glass panels on the train’s camera by placing markings on them.
Despite this vandalism, police said that the teens posted a video of them commandeering the train on Instagram. The video shows them traveling at a decent speed—about 30 mph.
Police on Wednesday released surveillance video of the suspects at the 36th Street station, and images of all six wanted teens. Investigators are still searching for the four other suspects.
“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,” NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said.
Crichlow said that NYC Transit is working to research and incorporate new technologies to bump up security in the transit systems. These upgrades include designing overrun alarms for subway trains, developing portable fixed stops at both ends of lay-up areas and biometric verification.
“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,” Crichlow said.