WHITE PLAINS, NY (September 5, 2026) — A Bronx woman has been indicted on a felony charge for allegedly falsely reporting a bomb threat aboard a Metro-North Railroad train that was stopped and evacuated at the City of Rye Metro-North Station, according to Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace.
Albertyna Mendoza, 27, was arraigned Thursday before Judge George Fufidio on a charge of falsely reporting an incident in the second degree, a Class E felony.
Mendoza pleaded not guilty and was released on her own recognizance because the charge is not bail eligible under New York state law. She is due back in court Sept. 17.
Prosecutors allege Mendoza was traveling on a New Haven-bound Metro-North train through Westchester County at about 4:30 p.m. May 3, 2025, when she sent a series of text messages to 911 Emergency Operations falsely reporting that a man aboard the train was carrying a bomb in his hand.
The train was halted at the Rye Metro-North Station, where MTA police responded and evacuated all passengers and crew.
Multiple police officers and K-9s swept the train, which was later cleared after no safety threat was found. Authorities said no person matching the description of the man in Mendoza’s alleged messages to 911 was found or observed on video surveillance.
Passengers and crew were transferred to a second train to continue their travel.
“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,” Cacace said. “This behavior is completely unacceptable, which is why tremendous efforts were undertaken by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) Police Department and my office to identify, locate, and arrest this defendant.”
MTA Chief of Police Thomas J. Taffe said the report caused a significant disruption for riders and prompted an investigation after authorities determined it was unfounded.
“This caused a significant inconvenience for riders simply trying to get home, 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,” Taffe said. “We appreciate the Westchester District Attorney making clear that this reckless conduct leads to serious consequences.”
Mendoza was arrested July 30, 2025, following an investigation by the MTA Police Department with assistance from the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Mathieu J. Reno of the Trials Division.
This article was prepared with the assistance of AI tools under the direction and editing of Robert Cox.
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