Two teens were arrested Monday for taking a pair of R trains for a wild joyride through Brooklyn after tampering with the control booth’s black box, police said.
One of the boys, just 15, was taken into custody at his Brooklyn high school and slapped with charges of reckless endangerment, possession of burglary tools, criminal mischief, and criminal trespass.
The second boy, 17, faces charges of reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, and criminal trespass. Their names were not released because they are underage. Four suspects are still being sought by cops.
The joyride kicked off around 10 p.m. Jan. 25, when the teens broke into one of the unoccupied trains at the 36th St. and Fourth Ave. stop in Sunset Park, cops said.
Transit sources previously told the Daily News the teens targeted a train parked overnight along a stretch of express track in Brooklyn. A second train was found with broken door locks, parked on a layup track in the same area.
The teens proudly posted video of their escapade on Instagram, showing them riding an R160 subway car through Brooklyn at speeds of up to 30 mph, blowing through signals and stations. Police confirmed that at least one train’s black box was disabled from 10:20 p.m. Jan. 25 to 3:30 a.m. the next day.
The arrests come days after the union that represents more than 40,000 subway and bus workers announced it would match the NYPD’s $3,500 reward for any information that could lead to the arrest of the men.
In response to the train heists, the New York City Transit Authority on Monday announced plans to add alarms and brighter lights to train controls to warn when a train is moved without permission. They’re also creating a system with portable stops that will automatically trigger emergency brakes when a train passes over them.
The agency is also looking into using biometric scans in the future and is researching ways to better control who can access and operate trains.
“Breaking into and moving subway cars is dangerous, illegal, and will not be tolerated,” NYC Transit head Demetrius Crichlow said in a statement. “We thank the NYPD for capturing these perpetrators who not only put their own lives at risk but also riders and transit workers.”
Cops last week released surveillance footage of the sex trespassers taken from inside one of the train cars and asked the public’s help identifying them and tracking them down.