Hammer-wielding woman smashes subway tap-and-go screens in Harlem

NEW YORK - Police are hoping to track down a woman who vandalized the recently installed tap-and-go fare payment screens on turnstiles in a subway station in Manhattan.

The woman exited the mezzanine of the 145th Street station on the A-line at about 10:18 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31, and then smashed three turnstile screens, which are called OMNY readers, with a hammer, the NYPD said. The screens are no longer operational, police said.

The woman then left the station. The NYPD described her as between 20 and 30 years old and wearing dark-colored clothing.

The incident happened the same night that hundreds of demonstrators filled Grand Central Terminal and several subway stations to protest the cost of mass transit and police enforcement in the subways.

Videos posted to social media on that evening show some people jumping turnstiles, chaining open platform exit doors, and defacing and vandalizing subway property, including OMNY screens. 

The MTA began rolling out the OMNY system in May 2029. The screens allow commuters to pay for a ride with either a contactless credit card or a payment app on a smart device.

If you have any information that could help police, you can contact Crime Stoppers: 800-577-8477 (English), 888-577-4782 (Español), nypdcrimestoppers.com, @NYPDTips (Twitter).