Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Texted Cell Phone Pics Nab Scratchiti Artist
By
Billy Parker
Published Nov 22, 2008
Modified Nov 22, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Billy Parker
Published Nov 22, 2008
Modified Nov 22, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
In what has to be a new contender for the most contemporary crime story, a young man was arrested for making graffiti and three other charges after another rider on the N train in Astoria snapped shots of him on her cellphone scratching a window on the train and sending them into Crime Stoppers via text. The vandalism task force was able to connect the cellphone pics to 18-year-old Andrew Morello, who had previously been arrested this summer for tagging "Shelly" on a commercial vehicle in Queens. The NYPD delegated a Crime Stoppers line over the summer specifically for text messages and had previously arrested a driver whose license plate was captured after he hit a cyclist and left the scene of the accident.
Tagged
andrew morello
astoria
cellphone
cellphone picture
crime stoppers
future
graffiti
n train
nypd
scratchiti
Shelly
text message
text messaging
vandalism task force
Billy Parker
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
How to spend $20M in East Williamsburg? A discussion begins.
Needs abound in the Brooklyn neighborhood, an epicenter of community change.
By
Willow Higgins
Published Nov 3, 2026 at 6:30 a.m. ET
2026 Midterm Election Day is here: What to know in NY and NJ
How to get out and vote today.
By
Brigid Bergin
and
Mike Hayes
News
2026 Midterm Election Day is here: What to know in NY and NJ
How to get out and vote today.
By
Brigid Bergin
and
Mike Hayes
NYC early voting dips compared to 2025, but spikes in majority-Black districts
By
Brigid Bergin
and
Joe Hong
NYPD officers shoot man after exchange of gunfire outside Bronx deli, police say
By
Giulia Heyward
Washington Square Park snowball thrower gets community service for pelting NYPD
By
Walter Wuthmann
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .