Bronx woman indicted for false Metro-North bomb threat

Albertyna Mendoza, a 27-year-old woman from the Bronx, has been indicted on a felony charge of falsely reporting an incident in the second degree. The indictment follows an incident on May 3, 2025, involving a Metro-North Railroad train traveling toward New Haven.

Prosecutors allege that while traveling through Westchester County, Mendoza sent text messages to 911 Emergency Operations claiming a man on the train was holding a bomb. The report prompted the train to halt at the Rye station, where the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) Police and K-9 units evacuated all passengers and crew. After a thorough search, authorities determined the threat was unfounded and found no evidence of a suspect matching Mendoza's description.

Mendoza was arraigned before Judge George Fufidio and pleaded not guilty. Because the charge is not bail-eligible under New York State law, she was released on her own recognizance. She is scheduled to return to court on September 17, 2026.