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New York: Suspect Arrested in Rash of Subway Brake Pullings That Disrupted Thousands
Suspect Arrested in Rash of Subway Brake Pullings That Disrupted Thousands
Thousands of riders have already been delayed by the culprit or culprits who sneak off sometime after bringing trains to a halt, surfing on the back of the cars and getting away via tunnels
By Katherine Creag, Andrew Siff and Adam Kuperstein
Published May 24, 2019 at 4:59 AM | Updated 2 hours ago
WHAT TO KNOW
• The MTA says someone has made a habit of pulling the emergency brakes on subways at the worst possible time: the height of rush hour
• The NYPD arrested Isaiah Thompson, 23, of Brooklyn early Friday morning in connection with the incidents
• Police believe Thompson, possible accomplices or even copycats could be responsible for as many as 40 incidents
A 23-year-old Brooklyn man with what police call a penchant for causing havoc was arrested Friday morning, suspected of being the serial subway brake puller.
Isaiah Thompson was arrested at home just before 12:30 a.m. Friday after an outside tip. Authorities say a sergeant also recognized Thompson, who is well-known to police after 17 prior arrests.
• NYPD Asks for Help in 'Heinous' Subway Attack Mystery
He faces charges of reckless endangerment and criminal trespass after a rash of incidents dating back months that has disrupted thousands of commuters. At a news conference Friday, NYPD officials said Thompson's motive may have been a simple one - he likes to cause havoc.
Police believe that on at least three occasions this month alone, Thompson rode the back of various subway trains in Manhattan, got into the operator's car and pulled the emergency brake.
....
Thousands of riders have already been delayed by the culprit or culprits who sneak off sometime after bringing trains to a halt, surfing on the back of the cars and getting away via tunnels
By Katherine Creag, Andrew Siff and Adam Kuperstein
Published May 24, 2019 at 4:59 AM | Updated 2 hours ago
WHAT TO KNOW
• The MTA says someone has made a habit of pulling the emergency brakes on subways at the worst possible time: the height of rush hour
• The NYPD arrested Isaiah Thompson, 23, of Brooklyn early Friday morning in connection with the incidents
• Police believe Thompson, possible accomplices or even copycats could be responsible for as many as 40 incidents
A 23-year-old Brooklyn man with what police call a penchant for causing havoc was arrested Friday morning, suspected of being the serial subway brake puller.
Isaiah Thompson was arrested at home just before 12:30 a.m. Friday after an outside tip. Authorities say a sergeant also recognized Thompson, who is well-known to police after 17 prior arrests.
• NYPD Asks for Help in 'Heinous' Subway Attack Mystery
He faces charges of reckless endangerment and criminal trespass after a rash of incidents dating back months that has disrupted thousands of commuters. At a news conference Friday, NYPD officials said Thompson's motive may have been a simple one - he likes to cause havoc.
Police believe that on at least three occasions this month alone, Thompson rode the back of various subway trains in Manhattan, got into the operator's car and pulled the emergency brake.
....
Jalopnik's on it too:
Alleged Subway Brake-Puller Supervillain Has Been Caught
Aaron Gordon
Today 9:00am
A suspect has been arrested in the subway brake-puller case, according to NBC New York and confirmed by Jalopnik. The brake-puller, whose actions were first reported by Jalopnik on Wednesday, has delayed at least 750 trains over recent months with reckless and infuriating behavior.
The suspect, Isaiah Thompson, 23, of Brooklyn, was arrested at 12:30 a.m. Friday morning from a tip, NBC New York reports. A spokesperson for the NYPD told Jalopnik the suspect was arrested in the 1st Precinct, which covers the southwestern tip of Manhattan from Houston to Battery. He was charged with two counts of reckless endangerment, two counts of criminal trespassing, and one count of public lewdness.
The lewdness charge is from an incident on May 16 where the suspect allegedly exposed himself while riding on the back of a B train passing the 14th St station on the 8th Avenue line (yes, the B normally runs express on the 6th Avenue line, but at that time there was a switch problem at Columbus Circle so the B was running on the C).
But the NYPD spokesman was clear that more charges are quite possible in the future as more complaints come in and incidents attributed to this suspect.
Aaron Gordon
Today 9:00am
A suspect has been arrested in the subway brake-puller case, according to NBC New York and confirmed by Jalopnik. The brake-puller, whose actions were first reported by Jalopnik on Wednesday, has delayed at least 750 trains over recent months with reckless and infuriating behavior.
The suspect, Isaiah Thompson, 23, of Brooklyn, was arrested at 12:30 a.m. Friday morning from a tip, NBC New York reports. A spokesperson for the NYPD told Jalopnik the suspect was arrested in the 1st Precinct, which covers the southwestern tip of Manhattan from Houston to Battery. He was charged with two counts of reckless endangerment, two counts of criminal trespassing, and one count of public lewdness.
The lewdness charge is from an incident on May 16 where the suspect allegedly exposed himself while riding on the back of a B train passing the 14th St station on the 8th Avenue line (yes, the B normally runs express on the 6th Avenue line, but at that time there was a switch problem at Columbus Circle so the B was running on the C).
Link to tweet
But the NYPD spokesman was clear that more charges are quite possible in the future as more complaints come in and incidents attributed to this suspect.