ORANGE LINE BLUES
Pair charged in T tunnel trespass
Two wannabe-photogs who sprinted headlong into a subway tunnel to snap pictures are being blamed for risking the lives of the transit cops who rushed in after them and ruining the evenings of hundreds of Orange Line riders who were delayed when the death-defying stunt brought the rushhour commute to a screeching halt, officials say.
“This dangerous criminal act not only delayed hundreds of MBTA commuters during rush hour, it put our officers lives in jeopardy,” transit police Superintendent Richard Sullivan said yesterday in a statement. “We will follow this case through completion and work with the Suffolk County DA’s Office to ensure they are held accountable.”
Sullivan said an officer patrolling the MBTA’s Chinatown station about 5:10 p.m. Tuesday spotted Peter Nakhili, 20, of Stoughton and Morgan Johnson, 19, of Quincy make a break for it down the southbound tunnel leading to the Tufts Medical Station stop. When officers chasing them down the tracks found the pair “hiding in a niche” about 50 feet from the Tufts Medical Station platform, the men told them they were hoping to take pictures and video of “an old abandoned tunnel.” Both were arrested on trespassing charges.
A follow-up investigation, police say, revealed that this isn’t the first time the duo had trespassed on T property. Sullivan said transit detectives had applied for criminal complaints for Nakhili and Johnson after the pair posted their videos to YouTube. A small amount of marijuana was found in Johnson’s backpack, according to police.
The search, arrest and return of the men forced transit officials to order a “hard stop” of all rail traffic in the area for about 30 minutes, a delay that caused long backups and had commuters who were hoping to take the Orange Line home after a long day at work fuming.
Rebecca Timmons, 29, of Roslindale was among the riders who were stuck waiting for a train home.
“It’s a huge inconvenience,” she said. “You try to make plans for the evening, and it really shifts everything.”
And as confused commuters peered down the tunnel in the hopes of spotting the next train, Lorna Johnson said T announcements let travelers know the delay was due to “police activity.”
“I was like, ‘ Are you serious?’ They never said what kind of police activity,” said Lorna Johnson, who was trying to get home to Roslindale.
Wendy Wang, 25, of Jamaica Plain was also trying to get home.
“It was annoying,” Wang said. “It’s weird people would do something so dangerous, especially during rush hour, when everyone’s trying to get home. It’s really irresponsible of them.”
Nakhili and Johnson were arraigned yesterday in Boston Municipal Court on trespassing charges. Both were released on personal recognizance.
Attempts to reach both men at home were unsuccessful.
Another inconvenienced commuter, Michel Crump, 54, of Everett said he hoped the two men would face jail time.
“That’s terrible,” Crump said when he learned the reason for the delay that left him in the lurch. “Clearly, they weren’t thinking about anyone else.”
‘It’s weird people would do something so dangerous, especially during rush hour, when everyone’s trying to get home. It’s really irresponsible of them.’ — WENDY WANG ‘I was like, ‘Are you serious?’ — LORNA JOHNSON