3 days ago
6
The NYPD has finally decided to give $10,000 in reward money to three heroic teenagers after initially denying them due to a technicality,
New York Post
reports.
The boys, all 14, were praised for their quick thinking and bravery in reporting a
subway arson suspect
, but were first told they were ineligible for the reward because they used 911 instead of the
Crimestoppers hotline
.
The families of Kingson, Navid, and Christos had felt overlooked when they asked about the promised reward. The NYPD had initially informed them that since the boys called 911, they didn’t qualify. “They told me that since the kids didn’t use the tip hotline and called 911, that’s why they’re not eligible,” Navid’s father said.
However, after public outcry and criticism from media reports, the NYPD reversed its decision. The young heroes will now evenly split the reward, and they will also receive a Nintendo Switch, according to their families.
“It’s good news. Thank you for picking up on it because I don’t know if this would have happened any other way,” Christos’ mother said after receiving the call. Another parent expressed surprise at the quick turnaround: “It’s interesting. You write an article and then all of a sudden they’re scrambling to do this… literally in that matter of 24 hours?”
Despite the good news, there was confusion at first about why the families were misled. Neither the NYPD nor Crimestoppers had kept the families’ contact information, making it unclear how they would be reached if the reward was reconsidered. This raised concerns that the teenagers might miss out on what they deserved.
The situation attracted attention from generous individuals, with former MTA chairman and one-time New York Post owner
Peter Kalikow
stepping in. Kalikow, who created the “See Something, Say Something” slogan, publicly supported the boys and offered to personally match the reward. “These young men called 911 and identified the criminal who set this poor woman on fire and took action to help in his capture,” Kalikow said. “The fact that they didn’t have the Crimestoppers tip line shouldn’t deprive them of this well-earned reward.”
The teenagers, overjoyed by the news, have described feeling “over the moon.” Their quick actions on the subway not only led to the arrest of the suspect but also inspired countless New Yorkers to step up and commend their bravery.
“It’s good to know people see the value in what we did,” Christos said. “We just did what we thought was right.”
On December 22, Navid, Kingson, and Christos spotted suspect Sebastian Zapeta-Calil on a Queens-bound F train. Hours earlier, Zapeta-Calil, a 33-year-old man, had allegedly set a homeless woman named Debbie Kawam, 57, on fire while she slept on the train. The teenagers quickly took action,
calling 911
to report their sighting. Law enforcement soon stopped the train, and Zapeta-Calil was arrested.
English (US) · 