The New York Police Department (NYPD) has stopped and arrested two fare evaders who were bringing loaded guns into the Metro subway system on October 18 and 19.
NYPD’s Transit department has also made five other arrests across three boroughs in recent days. Two of the arrests were of perpetrators that had been targeting riders and were caught by NYPD detectives after being identified on Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) cameras days before.
MTA Chief, External Relations, John J. McCarthy said the arrests demonstrate the value of police officers being deployed in large numbers on trains, in stations and at subway entrances.
At 4:50 pm on October 18, Kayvill Volitan was arrested for criminal possession of a weapon at Stillwell Av station on the line. Plain-clothed officers patrolling the mezzanine observed Volitan evade the fare. Further investigation led officers to recover a loaded .22 caliber firearm. Volitan is a known gang member and this was his third firearms related arrest since 2018.
The following day, a person of interest in a Brooklyn shooting was armed with a loaded .357 magnum pistol when officers arrested him for fare evasion at the Coney Island subway station. Wilfredo Serrano was caught entering the station through the exit gate at about 4:30 p.m. on October 19. Police officers found the loaded revolver in his pocket, during a pat down search.
On October 20, a violation of MTA rules prompted NYPD Transit officers to question a man in a Brooklyn subway station. The team soon learned the man was wanted for an open case and then recovered an assortment of blades from him.
Meanwhile, Terrell Carroll was arrested for attempted grand larceny at 14 St Union Sq station. While patrolling on board a train, plain-clothed officers witnessed Carroll put his right hand inside the victim’s purse in an attempt to remove her property. Officers placed Carroll under arrest without further incident.
Elsewhere on the transit system, Trevor Williams was arrested for robbery and second degree assault on a police officer at 86 St station on the line. Williams elbowed the victim in the throat and stole the victim’s Airpod. The victim alerted nearby uniformed officers who then took Williams into custody following a physical struggle. During the struggle, Williams bit an officer on his head causing a laceration.
On October 15, Miguel Ramirez pushed a 26-year-old man off the platform at E 149 St station. Ramirez was arrested on charges of attempted murder, attempted assault, and reckless endangerment.
Carlos Garcia has been arrested for manslaughter after he engaged in an altercation over a phone falling to the roadbed with Heriberto Quintana on the platform of Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av station on October 17. During the altercation Quintana fell to the roadbed in front of an oncoming train. Quintana was pronounced dead at Elmhurst Hospital.
NYC Transit subway conductors are now making announcements on board trains to alert riders when and where police officers are located within trains and on platforms. Now, even if officers are not within eyesight, riders will know where to seek help if concerned about their and their fellow riders’ safety.
