NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A group of teens illegally operated two subway trains in Queens last weekend, police said Thursday as they released video of the suspects as the MTA vowed "we're going to find these kids and throw the book at them."
The NYPD released video of the suspects as it investigates last Saturday afternoon's incident in Forest Hills as a case of reckless endangerment.
Video shows three young suspects with backpacks roaming a darkened and empty lead train car around 4:45 p.m. at the Forest Hills–71st Avenue E/F/R station.
Police said the group entered the operator compartment of the trains and took them on a brief joyride. They rode the trains a short distance and then fled the station on foot.
The trains were unoccupied by passengers at the time, and no injuries were reported, police said.
Reacting to the incident Thursday, NYC Transit President Richard Davey said no one was ever in danger and that the signal systems would have stopped the train before it left the yard.
"Am I concerned? Yeah," Davey said. "Was there any danger involved? No, there wasn’t. A few things to know. First is that a signal system would have prevented that train from getting on the main line. The emergency brake would have stopped it. Two, our tower operator saw it immediately and called 911. So those kids were on there for minutes, you know, not any longer period of time."
A major question is how the teens got a key to the trains to play conductor.
"Yeah, it'll be part of the investigation," Davey said. "It could have been stolen. I don't know. But obviously the NYPD will find that out for us to say the least. At no time was that train at all in danger of leaving the yard, because the signal system would have activated the emergency brake. That thing never would have left the yard. But, again, am I concerned? You're damn right. We're going to find these kids and throw the book at them.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.