The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office has finally handcuffed the third suspect in a copper wire heist at the VTA Cropley Light Rail Station, according to an announcement made on social media. Michael Reeder, aged 55, was collared and booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail facing numerous charges, including grand theft, vandalism, possession of a stolen vehicle and more—in fact, the list of his outstanding warrants spans evading police, vehicle theft, and burglary.
The string of copper thefts on Valley Transportation Authority property this year has surged, with over two dozen cases inflicting north of half a million dollars in damages, causing not just a hiccup in VTA operations but also a grave safety concern, for instance, when copper wire got snipped next to signal tracks effectively rendering warning lights and gates useless, this was mentioned in a detailed press release by the Sheriff's Office.
The copper caper came to light on March 11 when a suspect, along with a white pickup truck, was seen loitering near the VTA Cropley Light Rail Station tracks shortly before a report of copper theft in progress, soon after, Danielle Mayo, 60, and Frank Pacheco, 55, found themselves in cuffs for suspicion of possession of stolen property, conspiracy, and possession of methamphetamine with the stolen copper wire—a hefty 20 feet length and weighing over 100 pounds—found in their truck.
It seems the usual MO for copper criminals centers on them cutting visibly accessible wire near rail platforms and surveying the area for any blue-light response; they strike once ensuring the coast is clear, with local transit agencies like VTA and Caltrain witnessing an uptick in these plundering episodes, one particular heist at Hostetter Light Rail Station on February 27, witnessed the theft of 66 feet of copper resulting in a staggering $198,000 worth of damage, and just a day before that, the Cropley Light Rail Station saw 120 feet of copper spirited away leading to $60,000 in losses including labor costs and service delays the Sheriff's Office urges folks to keep their eyes peeled and report any shifty movements in the vicinity of VTA rail track areas.
