According to the New York Post, the NYPD finally made the decision to award$ 10, 000 in prize money to three brave teens after initially refusing them due to a formality.
The 14-year-old boys were praised for reporting a suspect in a train fire quickly and bravely, but they were initially told they were disqualified because they had to use 911 rather than the Crimestoppers line.
The people of Kingson, Navid, and Christos had felt overlooked when they asked about the promised compensation. The NYPD had immediately informed them that since the boys called 911, they didn’t count. ” They told me that since the children didn’t usage the tip line and called 911, that’s why they’re never eligible”, Navid’s papa said.
But, after public protest and criticism from media accounts, the NYPD reversed its selection. The young champions will then split the reward equally, and their families may also receive a Nintendo Switch.
” It’s good news. I don’t know if this would have happened any other way, so I’m grateful you picked up on it,” Christos ‘ mother said after receiving the call. Another family expressed surprise at the swift turnaround:” It’s exciting. You write an article, and suddenly they are” stuck for time,” actually in less than 24 hrs.
Despite the positive reports, there was initially ambiguity about why the people had been misled. The people ‘ contact information was kept secret by neither the NYPD nor Crimestoppers, making it difficult to tell them how to contact them if the reward was changed. This raised the possibility that the youngsters may not receive the attention they deserved.
With previous MTA chairman and former owner of the New York Post Peter Kalikow stepping in, the situation attracted the attention of good individuals. Kalikow, who created the” See Things, Say Things” slogan, officially supported the kids and offered to personally meet the prize. These younger men called 911 to find the criminal responsible for setting this poor girl on fire and assisting in his capture, according to Kalikow. ” The fact that they didn’t include the Crimestoppers tip line doesn’t deprive them of this well-earned reward”.
The youth, overjoyed by the media, have described feeling “over the sun”. Their rapid deeds on the train never only led to the arrest of the suspect, but they also piqued the admiration of many New Yorkers for their courage.
” It’s good to know people see the value in what we did”, Christos said. ” We simply did what we believed to be straight.”
On December 22, Navid, Kingson, and Christos spotted suggest Sebastian Zapeta-Calil on a Queens-bound F station. Days earlier, Zapeta-Calil, a 33-year-old person, had allegedly set a poor girl named Debbie Kawam, 57, on fire while she slept on the train. The teenagers immediately took behavior, calling 911 to record their sight. Law enforcement quickly stopped the coach, and Zapeta-Calil was arrested.
