Man caught stealing $30K in copper wire from Bay Area transit line, authorities say

(KRON) — A man from San Jose was allegedly caught stealing nearly 60 feet of copper wire worth $30,000 from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority Ohlone-Chynoweth light rail station last week.

Authorities caught 38-year-old Gregory Ortega of San Jose stripping the sheath from freshly cut wire along the Valley Transportation Authority line after a local resident saw the crime occurring and called 911, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office said.

“Thanks to a vigilant apartment resident, a copper theft in progress at the … light rail station was stopped in its tracks last week,” the sheriff’s office said.

Ortega was on probation for burglary at the time of his arrest. He was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail for grand theft, possession of stolen property, vandalism and probation violation.