More Than A Dozen Windows Smashed On 7 Train, Adding To Costly Series Of Subway Vandalism; NYPD Investigating
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - The Metropolitan Transportation Agency has already spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair smashed subway car windows, but the vandalism has not stopped.
More than a dozen windows on a 7 train were smashed late Friday night, according to the NYPD.
The MTA says glass was discovered inside the subway car and an investigation had determined 18 windows were smashed in total, CBS2's Kiran Dhillon reports.
An MTA spokeswoman says the train was taken out of service, causing delays, and the repairs will cost around $9,000.
In a statement to CBS2 on Saturday, a spokesperson for the MTA said:
"This criminal act means taxpayer money will be diverted from providing service, it unnecessarily delays riders, and puts an entire train into the repair yard. We are cooperating with the NYPD which is aggressively investigating and the perpetrator, when arrested, will face both criminal prosecution and a demand for full restitution."
It continues a long series of smashed windows on the 7 line this summer. About three weeks ago, 21 windows were broken on a pair of 7 trains, which alone cost the MTA $10,000 to repair.
More than 400 windows were smashed in recent months, especially on the 7, 2, and 3 subway lines.
RELATED STORY: More Subway Trains Vandalized On 7 Line Overnight, MTA Says As Investigation Into Window Smashing Crime Spree Continues
By late August, the agency had spent at least $300,000 to fix smashed subway windows across the system.
For many people who ride the subway, the vandalism is disturbing.
"I don't know why people are doing that. I don't know, but maybe they're under stress too much or maybe, I don't know what happened. I really don't know what happened, but it's very sad," one rider said.
"That's really bad. Like, using public property, damaging it, doesn't ever make sense," another rider said.
Last month, police arrested a suspect for breaking windows on an A train, but it was unclear if that suspect was also responsible for incidents on other lines.
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