NY subway train stolen by thieves for joyride
A masked group has posted a portion of their stunt on social media and remains unarrested. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
A group of masked individuals is being sought by police after taking over a subway train in Queens for a joyride, with part of the stunt shared on social media.
New York City police are looking for those responsible for commandeering an unoccupied ‘R’ train. The New York Police Department has released images and video of six suspects believed to be involved in the incident, which occurred before 10:30 p.m. on Saturday near the 71st Avenue station in Forest Hills. Initially responding to reports of vandalism, officers were informed by a Metropolitan Transportation Authority employee that several people had boarded a vacant train and taken it for a short ride.
The individuals documented their escapade online, posting videos that showed them inside the conductor’s cabin and hanging out of the train’s front door. One clip features someone operating the controls, while another person sits at the front door with their legs hanging over the tracks, and a third individual stands behind them.
According to the NYPD, the R train was securely parked on a layup track at the 71st Avenue Station. The MTA confirmed that the train was left unattended, and when personnel returned, they found that it had been moved but subsequently returned close to its original location. The locked doors suggested that the intruders had used transit keys to gain access.
“They obviously knew something about both where the train was and how to operate a train, and how to get the keys,” transportation expert Robert Paaswell remarked to CBS. “Once you start it, it’s just a throttle, and you use the throttle to move it and to slow it down.”
It remains unclear how long the group operated the train or the distance traveled, though social media videos depict it traveling at high speeds. Authorities reported that the intruders wore all black, masked their faces, and obscured onboard cameras with a black marker.
After MTA staff confirmed the train had been moved, they transported it to the Queens train yard for a review of its 'black box' data. According to an MTA spokesperson, New York City Transit is collaborating with the NYPD on the investigation.
Police are treating the incident as reckless endangerment, and as of now, no arrests have been made.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
New York City police are looking for those responsible for commandeering an unoccupied ‘R’ train. The New York Police Department has released images and video of six suspects believed to be involved in the incident, which occurred before 10:30 p.m. on Saturday near the 71st Avenue station in Forest Hills. Initially responding to reports of vandalism, officers were informed by a Metropolitan Transportation Authority employee that several people had boarded a vacant train and taken it for a short ride.
The individuals documented their escapade online, posting videos that showed them inside the conductor’s cabin and hanging out of the train’s front door. One clip features someone operating the controls, while another person sits at the front door with their legs hanging over the tracks, and a third individual stands behind them.
According to the NYPD, the R train was securely parked on a layup track at the 71st Avenue Station. The MTA confirmed that the train was left unattended, and when personnel returned, they found that it had been moved but subsequently returned close to its original location. The locked doors suggested that the intruders had used transit keys to gain access.
“They obviously knew something about both where the train was and how to operate a train, and how to get the keys,” transportation expert Robert Paaswell remarked to CBS. “Once you start it, it’s just a throttle, and you use the throttle to move it and to slow it down.”
It remains unclear how long the group operated the train or the distance traveled, though social media videos depict it traveling at high speeds. Authorities reported that the intruders wore all black, masked their faces, and obscured onboard cameras with a black marker.
After MTA staff confirmed the train had been moved, they transported it to the Queens train yard for a review of its 'black box' data. According to an MTA spokesperson, New York City Transit is collaborating with the NYPD on the investigation.
Police are treating the incident as reckless endangerment, and as of now, no arrests have been made.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
