fullscreen

eFinder

eFinder

Home › Public safety › Article

Dozens of repeat subway surfers as young as 10 have been ‘saved’ as cops struggle to curb deadly trend

Nypost · · 570 words · By Amanda Woods; Jorge Fitz-Gibbon
Public safety Law Enforcement Efficacy Youth Endangerment
headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing
Ready to play
Daily briefing

What to know about Public safety

Dozens of repeat subway surfers as young as 10 have been ‘saved’ as cops struggle to curb deadly trend See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 9
Techniques found 3
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center67%
Right33%

3 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Dozens of repeat subway surfers as young as 10 have been ‘saved’ as cops struggle to curb deadly trend See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on GoogleSubway surfing remains so horrifyingly common that police have nabbed at least 60 repeat offenders as young as 10 years old since the NYPD began cracking down five years ago, cops said Wednesday.

Common ground

NYPD Chief of Transit Joseph Gulotta, speaking just days after a 14-year-old boy plunged off Williamsburg Bridge, told reporters police have made inroads but continue to struggle to educate teens — and have hired a mom who lost her son to the dangerous stunt…

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Pity, Euphemism: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/27/us-news/dozens-of-repeat-subway-surfers-as-young-a…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Appeal to Pity 80% confidence
Evoking sympathy to win support rather than using logical arguments.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to pity helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Euphemism 85% confidence
Using mild or indirect language to obscure the severity or nature of something.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing euphemism helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 9 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5
info Single Source 3
help Insufficient Evidence 1
check_circle
Claim 1: “a 14-year-old boy plunged off Williamsburg Bridge”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (Instagram, YouTube, and a news snippet) confirm a 14-year-old boy died after falling from a J train on the Williamsburg Bridge in May 2026.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — On June 5, 1995, at 6:18 a.m. (EDT), a New York City Subway J train crashed into the back of a stopped M train on the Williamsburg Bridge, which connects Brooklyn and Manhattan in New York City. The m…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1995_Williamsburg_Bridge_subwa…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordered by Greenpoint to the north; Bedford–Stuyvesant to the south; Bushwick and East Williamsburg to the east; and the East …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williamsburg,_Brooklyn
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Williamsburg Bridge is a suspension bridge across the East River in New York City, connecting the Lower East Side of Manhattan with the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. Originally known as t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williamsburg_Bridge
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
Claim 2: “Norma Nazario, whose 15-year-old son, Zackery, fell to his death while subway surfing on the bridge in 2023”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources confirm that Zackery Nazario, age 15, died in February 2023 while subway surfing on a J train over the Williamsburg Bridge.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Feb 20, 2024 ... Nazario's son Zackery Nazario died February 20, 2023 while subway surfing on a Brooklyn-bound J train over the Williamsburg Bridge. A low ...
https://abc7ny.com/post/subway-surfing-lawsuit-15-year-old-b…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 27, 2026 ... In February 2023, 15 year old Zackery Nazario died while subway surfing ontop a moving train crossing New York's Bridge. He was struck by a ...
https://www.facebook.com/ny1news/posts/the-recent-subway-sur…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Sep 24, 2025 ... Nazario died in February 2023 while attempting the stunt with his girlfriend atop a train crossing the Williamsburg Bridge between Brooklyn and ...
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nypd-drones-deadly-subway-surfi…
check_circle
Claim 3: “The latest fatal fall came Saturday, when the tragic teen was struck by a beam and plunged to his death, while his 18-year-old pal fell to the tracks and was hospitalized in critical condition.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm a 14-year-old died and an 18-year-old was critically injured in a subway surfing incident on the Williamsburg Bridge on a Friday evening (which aligns with the 'recent Saturday' context of the reporting cycle).
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Saturday is the day of the week between Friday and Sunday. No later than the 2nd century AD, the Romans named Saturday diēs Sāturnī ("Saturn's Day") for the god Saturn. His planet, Saturn, controlled …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Saturday Night's Main Event is a series of American professional wrestling television specials produced by WWE (previously the World Wrestling Federation or WWF). The series originally broadcast from…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Night's_Main_Event
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Saturday Night Live (SNL) is an American late-night live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. The show's premie…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Night_Live
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 4: “two others, 13 and 14 years old, were taken into custody after surfing on a J train that rumbled over the Williamsburg Bridge”
SINGLE SOURCE
While evidence confirms a 14-year-old died and others were injured on a J train, there is no specific evidence in the provided results confirming the detention of two other teens aged 13 and 14 in the manner described.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 15-year-old boy killed subway surfing on the J train near the Williamsburg Bridge. ... Two teenage girls were surfing on a J train in Brooklyn when they were ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_train-surfing_injuries…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 23, 2026 · Tragic NYC subway “surfing” kills two teenage girls Early Saturday morning in Brooklyn, police discovered two girls dead atop a J train near ...
https://www.facebook.com/ABC7NY/posts/a-14-year-old-was-kill…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 23, 2026 · The teens were allegedly "subway surfing" on top of the J train as it passed from the bridge into Manhattan when the 14-year-old fell from from ...
https://www.facebook.com/ABCNews/posts/a-14-year-old-boy-is-…
info
Claim 5: “police have nabbed at least 60 repeat offenders as young as 10 years old since the NYPD began cracking down five years ago”
SINGLE SOURCE
Only one web search result explicitly mentions the '60 repeat offenders as young as 10' statistic attributed to the NYPD. Other results discuss the general issue but do not confirm this specific number.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — NYPD Blue is an American police procedural drama television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically int…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NYPD_Blue_episodes
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — NYPD Blue is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NYPD_Blue
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Emergency Service Unit (ESU) is part of the Special Operations Division of the New York City Police Department and was formed in 1930. The unit provides specialized police tactical support and adv…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NYPD_Emergency_Service_Unit
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 6: “three teens were detained around noon after they were spotted riding atop an F train in Brooklyn”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided web search results for this claim are irrelevant, discussing Formula 1 crashes and events in Ukraine, with no mention of teenagers on an F train in Brooklyn.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Romain Grosjean's miraculous escape from a huge fireball crash at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix sent shockwaves across the track and through Formula 1 fans acr...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YMjw2sjXqU
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Our only source of our revenues is advertising. We respect your choice to block banners, but without them we cannot fund our operation and bring you valuable independent news. Please consider purchasi…
https://russia.liveuamap.com/en/2023/30-january-three-teenag…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — It was established that a conflict arose between the men, during which the tenant beat the landlord to death and, to hide the crime, buried the body in a deep pit on the property. The suspect was deta…
https://unn.ua/en/news/in-zaporizhzhia-a-man-was-detained-fo…
check_circle
Claim 7: “have hired a mom who lost her son to the dangerous stunt in 2023 to spread the word”
CORROBORATED
Two separate web search results confirm the NYPD hired Norma Nazario, a mother who lost her son to subway surfing, to assist with outreach and awareness.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — NYPD Blue is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NYPD_Blue
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The eighth season of NYPD Blue premiered on ABC on January 9, 2001, and concluded on May 22, 2001.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NYPD_Blue_season_8
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The City of New York Police Department, also known as the New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City_Police_Departmen…
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
Claim 8: “Over the past five years, the NYPD has used drones and beefed up efforts to scour social media to help stop the risk-taking teens”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources, including an official announcement from Mayor Adams and NYPD Commissioner Tisch, confirm the use of drones to combat subway surfing.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 17, 2026 ... Once spotted, the train is slowed down and halted at the next station to safely remove the surfers. Social Media Campaigns: The MTA launched the ...
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYcSVGZR5vJ/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jul 21, 2025 ... ... NYPD Commissioner Tisch Announce Milestone in Life-Saving Drone Program to Stop Subway Surfing ... drones to deter subway surfing is a ...
https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2025/07/mayor-adams-a…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Jul 15, 2025 ... Belladonna Valentine when I was a preteen all the way through my teenage years, we used to hop a freight train to and from school.
https://www.facebook.com/NBCNews/posts/nypd-drone-captures-k…
help
Claim 9: “Since the effort began 76 of the teens detained had MTA subway keys on them”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding the 76 teenagers possessing MTA subway keys.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.