Police arrest subway surfing teen amid alarming social media trend, deaths

Police arrested a 17-year-old who was subway surfing around New York City Wednesday following the death of a 15-year-old who died while doing the same. 

The unnamed teenager was found latched onto the back of the 7 train at the Queensboro Plaza subway station around 10:15 a.m., an NYPD spokesperson said. 

Police have charged the teen with a misdemeanor and released him into his parents’ custody. 

Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) CEO Janno Lieber said the NYPD will station officers at stations to catch teens trying to take part in the surfing trend popular on social media, NewsNation Now reported. 

“They haven’t charged every one, but they apprehend the kids who are doing this, and they get in touch with the parents,” Lieber said. “They are doing what they can.” 

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The heightened awareness and caution of the trend follows the death of Zachary Nazario, 15, who was subway surfing on a train crossing the Williamsburg Bridge when he fell to his death Monday. Nazario was standing on top of the J Train when he hit his head and fell.

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NYC Transit President Richard Davey warned of the dangers of subway surfing in a statement obtained by the New York Post.

“We cannot stress enough how dangerous it is to ride on the outside of trains,” Davey said. “Our hearts go out to loved ones at yet another tragic time. We implore other families to speak with their children on the real dangers of what can seem like a thrill but is too often deadly.”

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Nazario was the second teenager to die while riding on the outside of a subway train. Another 15-year-old in December fell and hit the third rail of the J train, FOX 5 reported at the time. 

Another boy in August 2022 fell from a train while trying to subway surf and lost his arm. 

The MTA reported 206 incidents of people illegally riding on the outside of train cars in 2021, a number that jumped to 928 in 2022. 

Fox News Digital’s Pilar Arias contributed to this report.