A Bronx woman was indicted Thursday for the alleged false reporting of a bomb threat aboard the Metro-North Railroad, causing the train to halt and all passengers to evacuate at the Rye train station.
The defendant, Albertyna Mendoza, 27, was arraigned for an incident in the second degree, a Class E felony. She pleaded not guilty and was released on her own recognizance, as the charge is not bail-eligible under New York state law. The defendant is due back in court Sept. 17.
Around 4:30 p.m. on May 3, 2025, it is alleged that the defendant was traveling on a New Haven-bound train through Westchester County when she sent a series of text messages to 911 Emergency Operations, falsely reporting that a man was carrying a bomb in his hand aboard the train.
MTA Police responded and evacuated all passengers and crew. The train was then swept by multiple police officers and K-9s and later cleared after no safety threat was found.
“The defendant’s alleged reckless actions caused great fear and alarm and created a significant inconvenience for hundreds of Metro-North commuters who were forced to evacuate the train,” said Westchester County DA Susan Cacace. “This behavior is completely unacceptable, which is why tremendous efforts were undertaken by the Metropolitan Transit Authority Police Department and my office to identify, locate, and arrest this defendant.”
No individual matching the description of the male described in the defendant’s alleged messages to 911 was found or observed on video surveillance.
All passengers and crew were transferred to a second train to continue their travel.
The defendant was arrested July 30, 2025, following a thorough investigation by the MTA Police Department, with assistance from the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.
“This caused a significant inconvenience for riders simply trying to get home,” said MTA Chief of Police Thomas Taffe, “and once the report was determined to be unfounded, our detectives launched an investigation and, with assistance from prosecutors, identified the individual alleged to be responsible for disrupting thousands of commutes.”
