Saadiq Teague was arrested Friday afternoon, New York police said.
Teague sat down while charging his phone at the subway station, and had the unloaded AK-47 in front of him, a source of law enforcement with direct knowledge of the situation told CNN on condition of anonymity. The teenager also had a gas mask with him, the source said.
Police did not say why the teenager had the weapon and loaded the magazine.
New York Police Commissioner Dermot Shea congratulated officers on the routine patrol that seized the items.
Teague is charged with two counts of criminal possession of a second-degree weapon; criminal possession of a third-degree weapon; and the third-degree criminal possession related to an ammunition cut, according to the New York Police Department.
Detective Annette Shelton also said Teague used second-degree criminal offenses with drug paraphernalia.
CNN could not identify a lawyer for Teague, but has reached out to the Legal Aid Society to see if it represents him. A Teague lawyer may not have been hired yet because the arrest is so recent, Legal Hid’s Red Haskins told CNN.
CNN commented on Teague’s family in Ohio and the district attorney’s office in Manhattan.