Police Arrest a ‘Worst of the Worst' Graffiti Tagger on Subway Train

One of the city's most prolific subway graffiti taggers and a long-standing member of the New York Police Department's "Worst of the Worst" list of 50 most wanted vandals was arrested by a transit officer on routine patrol.

Patrick McCormick, an unemployed 34-year-old from Sheepshead Bay, was apprehended on Saturday afternoon on the A train at Beach 98th Street when he removed a hammer from his backpack and smashed a hole in a subway car window. Police officers said that McCormick did not see Officer Owen Manico, a uniformed police officer, approach him from behind.

Police officers speculate that McCormick may have been in the process of destroying a rival's graffiti tag when he was arrested. "He broke the window so we weren't able to determine that for sure," the commanding officer of the police department's transit bureau, James Hall, said.

McCormick's tag — "MAP" — is found most frequently carved into N train windows. It has also been found above ground, most recently spraypainted at an MTA bus terminal on West Street. Police said McCormick is not part of a gang, but works alone.

When placed under arrest, McCormick was carrying in his backpack nine cans of spray paint and six etching stones, used to carve tags in glass.

"We found his tag on at least 10 train windows," Mr. Hall said. "He's scratching up windows like he's on a mission."

Vandalized windows cost the MTA $150 each to replace.

McCormick has 15 arrests prior to 1989, 10 for graffiti-related offenses. He was arrested for homicide in 1989 and for assaulting a police officer in 1991. He was convicted of manslaughter in the 1989 incident.

"This particular guy has a history of violence in addition to his artistic endeavors," Mr. Hall said. "It's a good arrest. It's a really good grab."

While the police department says the average age of taggers is between 16 and 24, some of the more skilled, artistic taggers are older, Mr. Hall said. Still, at 34, McCormick's age makes him an outlier in his field.

He will be charged with criminal mischief and could serve up to a year in jail for the offense because of his criminal record.