NYPD searching for vandal who has smashed subway windows 63 times across NYC
NEW YORK - The NYPD is on the hunt for a man suspected of vandalizing 63 subway cars across New York City by smashing their windows.
The most recent incident saw over three dozen windows on multiple subway cars along the 7 train in Queens wednesday night.
The man, often seen carrying a hammer, has been linked to incidents between May 8 and August 3 on the 2, 3, and 7 subway lines.
The NYPD released images and video of the man on Friday afternoon. It shows the man in a blue shirt and black face mask during one of the incidents.
Authorities say the vandalism spree has been taking place since early May and is costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars.
More than 200 windows on multiple subway lines have been smashed in that time. Federal regulations will not allow any subway car to run without an enclosed window, so the MTA must repair them, with each panel of glass costing roughly $400 to replace.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, or on Twitter @NYPDTips.
Police say all calls are strictly confidential.