Several leads “directly contributed to the arrest” of the suspect, the NYPD said.
Five informants will split a $50,000 reward for providing police with information that led to the arrest of the suspect in Tuesday’s mass shooting on a New York City subway train, authorities said.
The suspected gunman in the shooting, Frank James, 62, was arrested on the streets of Manhattan Wednesday afternoon, about 30 hours after 10 people were shot on a Brooklyn N.
As the chase continued, police asked the public for help in locating the suspect. New York Police Department detectives have identified five people whose leads “directly contributed to the arrest,” the NYPD said.
The five Good Samaritans, who have not been publicly identified, will split equally a combined $50,000 Crime Stoppers reward provided by the Police Foundation, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Transportation Workers Union Local 100. Crime Stoppers rewards are distributed upon arrest and indictment. of an individual
“We appreciate everyone who responded to our information call to locate this suspect, including all those whose leads did not pan out,” New York Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said in a statement. “We urge the public to join us in this effort to find this suspect and New Yorkers stepped up.”
Police have not shared what information helped lead to the arrest, and informants are being offered anonymity. Although there have been multiple reports of witnesses seeing James after he was named a suspect in the shooting, which occurred Tuesday morning on a rush hour N train bound for Manhattan as it approached the 36th Street station in Sunset Park.
A cell phone alert with James’ description was sent to New York City residents at 10:21 a.m. Wednesday, and multiple sightings followed as the suspect wandered the streets of lower Manhattan.
Around 10:30 a.m., he was seen sitting outside Dimes, a restaurant in Chinatown, sources said. Witnesses took photos of him sitting down, apparently using a Link NYC hub to charge his phone, and posted them on social media, tagging police, the sources said.
Another possible stop a few hours later was Katz’s Delicatessen on the Lower East Side, the sources said. A Katz’s manager told ABC News that James did not eat inside the restaurant the day of his arrest, but said he may have been seen nearby.
Just after 1 pm Wednesday, James called Crime Stoppers about himself, saying he was at a McDonald’s in the East Village, according to sources. James reportedly said, “I think they’re looking for me. I’m seeing my picture all over the news and I’ll be near this McDonald’s.”
When the police arrived, James had already left the McDonald’s. But a good Samaritan spotted James near St. Mark’s Place and First Avenue and flagged down police, sources said.
James was taken into custody without incident and charged by federal prosecutors with a terrorism-related crime. At his first court appearance on Thursday, he was ordered held without bail. He faces life in prison.
Aaron Katersky and Mark Crudele of ABC News contributed to this report.
Reference-abcnews.go.com