Just weeks after Governor Kathy Hochul announced surveillance cameras would be put in every subway car in an effort to deter crime and help catch those responsible— an Upper East Side subway train became the scene of an attempted gunpoint robbery deep underground, according to police. Though those surveillance cameras haven’t been installed yet, Subway station cameras, did spot the suspect hauling a moped through a subway station.
Investigators say it was early Saturday morning around 1:00 am when a 37-year-old man was approached by a stranger– who is seen on video pushing a full-size moped– on an uptown Q train inside the East 72nd Street-Second Avenue station.
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The two got into an argument, according to police, and that’s when the suspect pulled a gun and tried to rob the victim— going for the man’s watch and trying to take it off of him, unsuccessfully though.
After that, detectives say the suspect escaped, fleeing through the East 96th Street-Second Avenue subway station.
Surveillance video shows the suspect— who is seen wearing a blue t-shirt featuring Bart Simpson and the bullies of Springfield, including Nelson Muntz and Jimbo Jones— wheeling a moped out of a subway elevator, with what appears to be an iMac computer balanced on the moped’s footrest.
It’s not clear whether the video is from where he entered the subway or fled from the scene of the crime.
Last month, Governor Hochul announced the MTA would install surveillance cameras in every subway car in their fleet, thanks to a $2 million federal grant.
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“I am proud that we will be installing cameras on all Subway cars – expanding our security capabilities, deterring crime, and providing our law enforcement with support,” Governor Hochul said in September.
“As we continue welcoming riders back to the transit system, we will continue doing everything in our power to keep riders safe.”
According to NYPD data, crime in Upper East Side subways has surged 209% through October 2nd of this year, compared to the same time last year— meanwhile, the number of robberies reported on the Upper East Side has increased nearly 39% versus 2021.
If you saw anything or have any information that could help police catch the person responsible for this attempted robbery, you’re asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-8477.
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