Transit cops in the Bronx nabbed a teenage fare evader earlier this week who tried to sneak a loaded gun into the subway system.
According to police sources, the incident unfolded at around 7:55 p.m. on April 16 inside the East 161st Street/River Avenue station on the 4 line, near Yankee Stadium.
Officers from NYPD Transit District 11 spotted the teenager, identified as 18-year-old Tupac Lee, allegedly entering the station without paying by slipping in through the emergency gate.
Upon stopping and searching Lee, police reported that the officers found a loaded Taurus handgun inside his backpack. An investigation revealed that the firearm, which contained 8 bullets, had been reported stolen out of Allentown, PA in January 2024.
It is unclear what the teen planned on doing with the weapon.
Sources familiar with Lee’s history report that he has a criminal history as a juvenile, but this marks his first arrest as an adult. He lives in the Bronx and was charged with criminal possession of a weapon and theft of service.
Police have said enforcement of fare evasion has been essential in stopping transit crime and combating violence throughout the system.
