Mother of teen killed subway surfing joins NYPD to stop deadly trend
NYPD Transit Chief Joseph M. Gulotta said the department has intensified its crackdown, deploying drones and closely monitoring known hot spots.
A mother whose teenage son was killed while subway surfing is joining forces with the NYPD in an effort to prevent more deaths tied to the dangerous trend.
Norma Nazario’s son, Zachery, died in 2023 after riding on top of a train on the Williamsburg Bridge.
Now, she is partnering with the NYPD’s Transit Bureau's outreach efforts to parents, teens and schools.
“Teachers used to call him the historian because he loved history,” Nazario said. “I miss him a lot. This is why I’m here.”
Her involvement comes days after a 14-year-old boy was killed while riding on top of a train on the Williamsburg Bridge.
NYPD Transit Chief Joseph M. Gulotta said the department has intensified its crackdown, deploying drones and closely monitoring known hot spots.
“If we can save even one kid, we’ve done good,” Gulotta said.
So far this year, police have arrested 83 young people for riding on top of or behind trains, or attempting to do so, according to the NYPD. Six of those arrests happened in a single day this week, including three on the Williamsburg Bridge, where the teen was killed on Friday.
Chief Gulotta said repeat offenders remain a major concern.
“It’s over 60 repeat offenders as we’ve been tracking over the last five years,” he said.
Police are urging riders to call 911 if they witness subway surfing, saying those reports help identify problem areas.
“We do get calls for subway surfing every day,” Gulotta said. “Keep calling, because that data is important to us. It identifies where we’re seeing the subway surfing.”
The NYPD is also asking parents to monitor their children’s social media activity and watch for warning signs, including transit-related items.
“MTA vests, transit keys, transit radios, these are telltale signs,” Gulotta said. “If you see children with these, that’s probably a sign they’re going down into the tracks, which is super dangerous.”
Nazario said she hopes sharing her son’s story will help stop other families from experiencing the same loss.
