August 6, 2025 A Brooklyn teenager dubbed the "Subway Bandit" by sources is back in the wind after she failed to appear for a court hearing this week. Just days after being arraigned on separate reckless endangerment charges for allegedly stealing an R train, Justine Randall-Pizarro, 18, now has a warrant out for her arrest.
A Pattern of Panic on the Rails
Randall-Pizarro, whom cops have labeled a "transit recidivist," was a no-show for a hearing in Brooklyn Supreme Court. The hearing was to address her indictment in a series of pending transit cases, including one involving an alleged pepper-spraying fight with an MTA supervisor.
Her public defender, Margaret Olsen of the Legal Aid Society, told Justice Archana Rao, "I do not currently know where Ms. Randall is. I did speak with her earlier today, however. I don’t believe she’s coming to court." The judge promptly issued a bench warrant.
This development comes just two days after Randall-Pizarro was released without bail following a separate court appearance for a series of new charges. These charges stem from an alleged joyride on an R train in May, where prosecutors say she told investigators she's "done it too many times" to remember the details.
A criminal complaint details a chilling exchange with a friend on the train. When asked, "What if we hit somebody?", Randall-Pizarro allegedly replied, "Oh, well."
A Daring and Dangerous Escapade
The alleged May joyride began when Randall-Pizarro and an accomplice broke into a train parked on a "pocket track" beneath southern Brooklyn. They allegedly threw the train into reverse, speeding 20 mph toward the Bay Ridge-95th St. station and the main-line R train tracks.
Video footage from inside the control cab, reviewed by the Daily News, reportedly captures the rate of speed and shows the two young people discussing the train's operations. A transmission over the train's radio alerts transit workers to "some kids on the layup train." The person at the controls, allegedly Randall-Pizarro, then says, "And now we're reversing."
According to transit sources, the train was eventually stopped by its own emergency brakes after passing through a red signal. The teen allegedly told police, "The signal stopped the train automatically," before admitting, "I've done it too many times."
