On three separate days in one week in early October as the evening rush was getting underway, service on the 2 and the 5 trains was upended by a suspected copper thief.

Riders were shocked.

What You Need To Know

  • Prosecutors allege on three separate days in one October week, one man stole copper wires from the 149th Street-Grand Concourse subway station, setting off massive subway delays

  • The MTA credits the subway camera system for helping police identify 55-year-old Efrain Velez in the three incidents and has now put up additional fencing around the construction site the copper was stolen from

  • Velez was released without bail on Oct. 16 pending contemplation of dismissal for one incident, but a bench warrant has been issued for him for the other two

“Really, one act did that?” asked commuter Mark Sklawer.

“It’s, you know, it’s hard enough to get around and not be able to know, you know, with confidence what time you’re going to get someplace,” commuter Kathy Koontz said

“That’s crazy,” rider Colin Knapp said. “And that’s just three acts at a cost 700. There’s got to be — I mean, that there’s something wrong with security and policing.”

More than 700 trains delayed are believed to be related to one suspect, cutting and stealing copper wires in a supposedly secure construction area at the 149th Street-Grand Concourse station in the Bronx.

“That cable was responsible for powering the signal system,” Bill Amarosa, New York City Transit executive vice president of subways, said. “So we were unable to get 2 and 5 trains through 149th Street. All three cases were at the beginning of the evening rush hour, so it affected tens of thousands of riders. We’re angry that this happened.”

Police arrested 55-year-old Efrain Velez on Oct. 14. They say he had also been arrested on Oct. 2 inside the uptown 6 train tunnel at Union Square.

According to sources, Velez has an arrest record that dates back over 30 years, and has several arrests already this year for low-level crimes like petit larceny.

The Bronx district attorney’s office says his arraignment on Oct. 16 was adjourned pending contemplation of dismissal.

“When you have situations where people are repeatedly doing damage to the system and doing harm to riders, causing delays again and again, and they’re in and out of the criminal justice system,” MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said. “We do wish that the criminal justice system would find a way other than letting them, you know, basically walk, to respond to that.”

Velez was released without bail for one incident, but the Bronx DA says there is now a bench warrant out for him for the two others. And the MTA credits the extensive camera system in the subway for helping police identify him.

The MTA says additional fencing has been put up to prevent trespassers.