NEW YORK (PIX11) — A woman in New York City is on the run from the law again, in what has become a real-life “Catch Me If You Can” caper.
Justine Randall, 18, is accused of a series of subway joyriding crimes in which she allegedly took control of MTA trains and sped down city tracks.
“She obviously has a disregard for the justice system,” said Tramell Thompson, vice president of transit operations for the Transport Workers Union Local 100.
A Brooklyn judge issued a bench warrant for Randall’s arrest Tuesday after she skipped her latest arraignment.
Randall is charged with swiping MTA train keys, hijacking out-of-service trains in Brooklyn and Queens, and assaulting a 54-year-old transit worker.
“The MTA, they’re not going to do anything or take action until someone gets killed. By then, it’s too late,” Thompson said.
One teen who witnessed Randall’s antics tried to warn her that she could kill someone, according to Thompson. Randall allegedly responded, “Oh well,” according to court documents.
Police said Randall’s hijinks date back to at least March and continued as recently as last month. In one incident, a veteran MTA worker said he tried to stop her but was violently assaulted and pepper-sprayed aboard a Brooklyn train.
“They had sprayed me and assaulted me — punching me, choking me, etc.,” the worker said, not wishing to be identified.
Thompson said the problem has been persistent and that he sees trains stolen almost every week, all of which are out of service.
“I don’t think there’s any type of deterrence,” he said.
The transit worker warned the situation is dire. “The criminals won’t stop. This is gonna continue to escalate to something worse because this person doesn’t have any regard for life or humanity,” the worker who is still recovering said.
NewsNation affiliate WPIX reached out to the MTA, which had no comment.