Slackers want the paycheque with as little effort as possible. Ryan Boria, a 34-year-old man, was accused of risking a train crash by meddling with railroad equipment in northern Berks County. Instead of rushing to his shift to flip burgers at Wendy’s, Boria held off on the spatulas to tamper with the tracks.
Boria had a partner in crime. “There was another person involved that worked with him at Wendy’s by the name of Amy Schaner,” Cataldi explained. “They discussed putting a shunt on the tracks on their way to work.”
Officer Frank Cataldi, Tilden Township Police Department., said: “While they were driving through here, she dropped him off. He exited the vehicle. He placed a shunt on the track. He got back in the car with her and they proceeded to Wendy’s.”
“During the interview, they told us that their intentions were to prevent people from getting to Wendy’s, and they could have a slow night at work,” Cataldi added.
The duo was content risking people’s lives through a train collision if it meant fewer hungry mouths at the fast food restaurant. Police added that Boria left a device on the tracks to interfere with the signal sensors and obstruct the train’s arrival. The gates wouldn’t have gone down when a train approached the crossing, and a crash could have been a consequence.
Intentions aren’t always clear. Are the motives rooted in political or personal gains? We’ll leave that for the cops to investigate. “We are preparing a search warrant for his cell phone to determine if there was another alternative motive. If there’s terrorism linked to it and it goes, you could be looking at 20 years [in prison],” Cataldi said.
As the duo soon realized, it’s easier to face customers than the legal team with hefty charges. Police arrested Boria on charges of causing or risking a catastrophe, criminal mischief, and reckless endangerment after surveillance cameras captured them red-handed on the train tracks.