Subway Arrest

Josh getting arrested by an NYPD officer.

On January 31, 2024, during the Homeless Arc, Joshua Block was arrested by the New York Police Department (NYPD) in Manhattan (more specifically, the Times Square-42nd St station) for allegedly attempting subway surfing, an illegal and dangerous activity involving riding on the exterior of subway trains. A video of the incident showed a fan pleading for his release, highlighting his significant online following. He was taken into custody, was fined, and released shortly afterwards, being held for two hours. Court records confirm that Josh was indeed arrested for an incident which occurred on January 15, 2024. This lines up with Josh posting a video on that day where he was seen accessing a locked area of a NYC subway car.

Josh was arrested for criminal trespass in the third degree under New York State Penal Law § 140.10(a). The currently available public records do not provide further context or specifics regarding the exact circumstances of the arrest. It's important to note that Josh was not actually 'subway surfing' (i.e. riding on the outside of the train car).

Arrest Details

• Date: January 31, 2024
• Arrest #: M24605372
• Arrested by: NYPD Precinct 14
• Offense: Criminal trespass in the third degree (PEN § 140.10)

Josh's Explanation

As featured on the 20 Women VS WorldOfTShirts video:

Partial transcript / 31:50-34:10

Lonzo: Aye Josh, what you do, you got a misdemeanor? Josh: I was- I trespassed... into the back of, like, the train car. Josh: I was doing this thing, you know, urbex. You know what that is? It's a very, it's like a social media trend. Josh: I snuck into the back of the train car- You know, urbex? Like, that's when you basically explore, like, abandoned places. Or rooftops. Or somewhere where you're not supposed to be. Josh: They arrested me. I had to, I got fingerprinted. I had to go to court. Josh: They let me off with a deferred adjudication. You know what that is? That's like when you're, you just have to be good for a certain amount of time. And it'll seal it. Lonzo: Hey, Josh. Was you- you was nervous when they arrested you? Josh: I was shaking. Lonzo: You were shaking? Like, did you pee yourself? Josh:I was like, what's going- Like, so I was in L.A. the night before my court date. And I took a red-eye home so that I could go to my court date. And I was shitting myself in that courtroom. Josh: I didn't know if I was going to go to jail. Or they could have, what they could have done is they could have put me on probation. Josh: And I wouldn't be allowed to leave. You can drink. But you can't leave, like, the state. Josh: I never went to, like, actual jail. I was just in, like, the holding place in the station. Josh: They kept me there for two whole hours.And I was like, what the hell's taking so long? Lonzo: And you still had it on though? Did you have the Gucci belt? Did you have it? Josh: I didn't have any of that yet. Lonzo: What did you have? Josh: Just a cell phone, an iPhone, a hat, and my wallet.

Mugshot

Josh's "mugshot" from the arrest.

A mugshot was "released" following Josh's arrest, but it's safe to assume that it was fake or staged:

• Josh was visibly smiling; but Josh later claimed he was "shaken".
• There was no actual source for the mugshot.
• Mugshots are rarely released in New York, plus Josh was never actually incarcerated.
• The look of the mugshot is not consistent with other New York mugshots, (for an example, see Mr. Based's) especially the massive drop shadow.

Court Date

Immediately following the arrest, Josh confirmed he had a court date in mid-February, eventually confirmed by the community looking up public records. However, Josh was in California at the time, and confirmed having to take a "red-eye" flight home. Josh attended court and his case would be dismissed following 3 Manhattan Justice Opportunities (a restorative justice program) meetings; in other words, Josh did not suffer actual consequences from the arrest and merely got a slap on the wrist, likely due to his autism.