7 Teens Arrested In Recent Weeks In Subway Vandalism Incidents
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Police have arrested seven teenagers in the last three months, on accusations that they committed acts of vandalism on the subways.
The group, known as the Subway Conquestors, has been implicated in several incidents in recent months.
In the latest video posted to YouTube, the group sneaks onto a darkened train at an unknown location and begins manipulating doors. An announcement and digital map indicate that the train is set to run as a D Train, but the train is of a newer model than those actually used on the D line.
D.J. Hammers, who uploaded the video, alleged that they used stolen subway keys.
Later, the video shows a quarrel that ends with a man being struck and falling to the ground, in what appears to be an unused subway station. Details about that incident have not been learned.
A subway train sign that is described as having been vandalized also appears.
Police told CBS2 the suspects involved with the incidents in that video -- which was shot back in the winter – were arrested sometime back. But the Subway Conquestors have been implicated in other incidents since then.
Police sources believe the Subway Conquestors were also responsible for an explosion in the Bronx, and have been linked to one at Brooklyn's Nostrand Avenue station in April.
In the Nostrand Avenue incident, police arrested Keyshawn Brown, 16, and accused him of placing a piece of metal on the tracks.
Rail enthusiast Max Diamond said the acts are getting more extreme as the vandals try to one up each other. They have been accused of changing destination signs to confuse passengers, surfing train cars, and stealing Metropolitan Transportation Authority equipment and gear.
The most recent arrest in the cases was this past Wednesday.