Overview
- Officials say 55-year-old Efrain Velez ripped signal wiring near 149th Street–Grand Concourse on three days, tripping signals to red and stopping 2 and 5 trains during the evening rush.
- The vandalism delayed 755 trains across the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 lines, which NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow called the primary driver of October’s on-time decline.
- Police charged Velez with criminal mischief and trespassing, and prosecutors allege he passed a padlocked gate posted with a no-trespassing sign to steal copper wiring.
- NY1 reports he was released without bail with an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal in one case, a bench warrant was issued for two others, and the MTA credits cameras for the identification and has added fencing at the site.
- The MTA recorded 77 major incidents in October, the most for that month since 2016, and officials link repeat metal thefts to persistent security gaps and the lure of scrap copper prices reported near $5 per pound.