Transit Police Arrest Medford Man For Alleged Copper Wire Theft
Brookline and MBTA Police officers find a man with bolt cutters in his pants, attempting to leave the Brookline Village T stop, where some copper wire was freshly cut and coiled.
A Medford man was taking a stiff-legged midnight stroll in Brookline Village, when he was stopped by MBTA and Brookline police last week.
At around 2:15 a.m. last Friday, Transit Police responded to the Brookline Village T stop and arrested this "Midnight Walker," according the tpdnews blog. They say that Robert O'Neil, 43, of Medford was trying to leave the track area, and seemed "stiff-legged," likely due to the large set of bolt cutters tucked down his pants, along with a pair of work gloves.
Searching the area, MBTA police found copper wire cut into five-foot lengths nearby, and a witness--who saw something and said something--reported that they had seen O'Neil cutting what appeared to be wire on the track bed.
O'Neil was arrested and charged with larceny over $250, vandilizing railroad signals and trespassing. He was taken to Transit Police HQ for processing, and is scheduled to appear Friday, Sept. 21 in Brookline District Court.
From the TPD News blog:
Transit Police would like to express our gratitude to the citizen who reported the suspicious activity and the Brookline Police Department for their assistance. As always "If You See Something, Say Something".
OldTownie
4:08 pm on Friday, September 21, 2012
Housing authority hiring?
de
10:46 am on Saturday, September 22, 2012
Why is everything that goes wrong blamed on the housing authority?
raymay
11:34 am on Saturday, September 22, 2012
de, everything is not blamed on the housing authority, everything is blamed on mayor mcglynn. : )
de
1:53 pm on Saturday, September 22, 2012
I know ray, the comment from townie alluted to the housing. Obviously this criminal thought he'd get away with it and its the housing fault this guy is a theif.
phil
7:47 am on Sunday, September 23, 2012
it could also be the fault of attorney rumley, camuso, donato or TV3. or maybe i've just been reading the Public Access Producer posts too much ???(hard not to, sooo000 many)
FlinFlon
11:40 pm on Sunday, September 23, 2012
Phil, please, enough.
de
9:32 am on Monday, September 24, 2012
Public access, why cant you leave a comment not a mile long story? Everytime you post its like reading a novel. Move out of medford if you dont like half the city employees.
darleen sullivan
10:25 am on Monday, September 24, 2012
de - I agree. And I'll help pack the boxes and pay the moving expenses.
Jewel0173
9:55 am on Monday, September 24, 2012
Oh please! The housing authority is completely corrupt! People that live there r not allowed to decorate for Christmas or face the threat of eviction but they pay 4 grand to have there office decorated!!! Do you find that disturbing ?
Arthur DeLuca
12:49 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012
Is this a new thing? People have been putting up Christmas decorations on their hallway doors forever in public housing.
de
11:09 am on Monday, September 24, 2012
Sad they can't decorate, especially for the children..
stevieB
1:53 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012
Obama voter
cindy
6:47 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012
I like the comedic approach to this article by the author. I dont see in the the article anything about the stiff legged bandit living in housing.
Arthur DeLuca
11:47 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012
Not "living in", but "working in" - is what the first poster facetiously commented. Figuring that if this person steals copper, then he'd be a good candidate for a Medford Housing Authority job since workers there have been accused of stealing copper. It's the kind of "guilt by association" comment that seems to be unfairly being made a lot here on the Patch lately by relatively new person(s) posting. It was a totally uncalled-for comment.
It should be interesting to read a follow up article as it gets revealed how long this person lived in Medford, who they planned to sell the copper to and whether or not they have any priors. I seem to remember earlier this year the City Council had to vote on funds for the City to replace some metal from the City streets. Memory fails me as to whether it was the catch basin grill/grates or sewer covers (or both) that needed replacing due to theft for the metal they were made of. Maybe this person has something to do with it., maybe not. Either way it's good the transit police got him.
cindy
6:53 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012
just an fyi Wellington station (orange line T) they are busing on the weekends from wellington to sullivan and then you can catch the train. this is in effect until late december. They are building that new stop at assembly row, but yet our green line extension has started yet according to the T person I spoke with yesterday.
cindy
6:54 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012
green line extension hasn't started yet. last post had a typo
de
9:21 am on Tuesday, September 25, 2012
People how about a few comments not a book