Brooklyn subway shooting suspect wasn't trying to hide when NYPD nabbed him East Village
NEW YORK -- The NYPD says it got its man.
Frank James might have made it really easy for police to find him.
Police sources tell CBS2 that a call came in claiming to be the suspect, and police believe James was that caller.
James, who went from person of interest to prime suspect in Tuesday's subway mass shooting in Brooklyn, was arrested Wednesday, taken into custody just before 2 p.m. in the East Village.
READ MORE: 5 things we know about Brooklyn subway shooting
James was captured on First Avenue between East Ninth and Saint Marks Place. Police said he made no attempt to resist. He also made no attempt to hide. He was out walking in the open.
As CBS2's Alice Gainer reports, cellphone video shows the 62-year-old being taken into custody by officers after multiple sightings of him were reported earlier in the day.
A crowd gathered to watch.
"He was quiet. I didn't see him carrying anything because his hands were handcuffed. They put him in the car. He did not say anything," witness Buddy Papaleo said.
"He grabbed him and he just put his head down," Amy Atlas added.
Some in the neighborhood told CBS2's Cory James they had no idea the alleged mass shooter was roaming their streets.
"I heard that and I'm just like, yeah, that made me nervous. It really did," one person said.
"That's probably the most top wanted man in all New York," Anthony Curnaj said.
Curnaj says he was making pizza when he saw police arresting James across the street.
"It's unbelievable," he said. "Like, out of all places in New York City, this is where he got caught at. It's insane."
Police said the CrimeStoppers call in question came in, placing James at a McDonald's nearby. But when cops showed up, he was gone.
"They start driving around the neighborhood looking for him," NYPD Chief of Department Kenneth Corey said.
NYPD patrol officers from the Ninth Precinct spotted him walking at First Avenue and Saint Marks Place.
"I see him. He have bag and this bag and he was walking on sidewalk and he put the bag on the street," witness Zack Tahhan said.
Police sources said James was carrying a backpack and had a MetroCard on him, a phone, and a Wisconsin driver's license. He did not have any weapons on him.
"Thirty-three shots, but less than 30 hours later, we're able to say, we got him," Mayor Eric Adams said.
During the news conference on Wednesday afternoon, the NYPD thanked everyone for their help, including the public and other agencies.
"We used every resource at our disposal to gather and process significant evidence that directly links Mr. James to the shooting. We were able to shrink his world quickly. There was nowhere left for him to run," NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said.
CBS2 has been told James was "calm and cool" and made no statements after being taken to the Ninth Precinct.
The FBI is asking for additional information from the public about James' whereabouts to fully understand the timeline.
