Brooklyn Teens Arrested After FTrain Cab BreakIn Attempt

Three masked teenagers were arrested in Brooklyn after allegedly attempting to break into subway conductor cabins and steal train-door keys. Police said the incidents occurred near Bay Parkway in Midwood and at 55th Street in Borough Park, with an accomplice reportedly reaching through a cab window to snatch a train-door key. Two 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old were taken into custody late Tuesday. Investigators said MTA subway keys were found on two of the teens and that stolen keys have been central to recent train break-ins and thefts. The arrests followed other spring incidents involving teens breaking into parked trains and briefly operating them, raising safety concerns. Transit officials reported efforts to harden cab doors with high-security deadbolts, increased surveillance, and coordination with NYPD to prevent access using master or skeleton keys.

"Police say three masked teenagers were busted in Brooklyn after allegedly trying to break into subway conductor cabins and swipe keys that investigators link to a recent run of unauthorized train "joyrides." The incidents unfolded near Bay Parkway in Midwood and at 55th Street in Borough Park, where transit sources say an accomplice reportedly reached through a cab window to snatch a train-door key. Two 15-year-olds and a 16-year-old were taken into custody late Tuesday as detectives work to figure out how the youths got the tools and keys used to get into the cabs."

"According to the New York Daily News, the three were caught after allegedly trying to enter the conductor's cab of a southbound F train at Bay Parkway on May 26. Authorities told the outlet that MTA subway keys were found on two of the teens and that stolen keys have been central to the recent spate of train break-ins and thefts."

"Transit officials have been quietly trying to harden cab doors. The agency began a pilot of high-security deadbolts on some No. 7 trains in late 2025 and says it is increasing surveillance and coordinating with the NYPD to catch break-ins. Reporting that first publicized the deadbolt installations traced the move to concerns about the easy availability of master or "skeleton" keys that can open multiple access points."

"The arrests follow other incidents this spring in which teens allegedly broke into parked trains and briefly operated them, raising fresh safety alarms across the system. Patch reported in April on unauthorized moves in Queens, and Bronx teen charged after alleged joyride is one earlier Hoodline account officials point to as part of a recurring problem that involves stolen MTA gear and social-media-fueled stunts."

Read at Hoodline