Teen who made it to top of World Trade Center could have been stopped by $4,000 security system that had been bought but not installed by 'cheap' officials
- Port Authority of New York and New Jersey paid $4,000 for the two-camera system in August
- A Port Authority official thought too much was spent on the system and declined to spend any money to install it
- 16-year-old Justin Casquejo took an elevator to the 88th floor, then ran up stars to the 104th floor where he breezed past a sleeping security guard to the roof
- Casquejo faces charges of misdemeanor criminal trespass
- Teen has since apologized for the stunt that has garnered national attention
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The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey had a surveillance system the night that Justin Casquejo made it to the top of One World Trade Center, bypassing security. The only problem is the $4,000 system was still packed in its box at the time.
Although the Port Authority bought the system in August, officials didn't want to pay to install it, the New York Post reported today.
A source told the paper that the official who oversaw the purchase was so incensed at what he saw as a very high price for a two-camera system that he decided not to spend any more money to have it up and running.
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Daredevil: Justin Casquejo, 16, sneaked into the WTC site and spent almost two hours on the roof of the nearly completed Freedom Tower, he is pictured at right on top of a construction crane in nearby Hoboken
Fascinated: Casquejo has long been obsessed with the WTC's Freedom Tower, according to the Post
'He looked at me and my colleague and said, 'Why did I spend $4,000 on this equipment when you could have gone to Home Depot and gotten something cheaper?’’' the source, who is an electrician that worked on the project for a vendor, said.
'I was kind of stunned, because that’s a pretty bold statement to make considering we got the specs from them, and the Port Authority had it made to order.'
Thrillseeker: Casquejo, pictured on a construction crane in Hoboken, appears to love sneaking into tall buildings under construction
The system ordered is known as a '“Two-Camera DVR Solution System.” It was supposed to be installed quickly after the August purchase, the source added, to protect the spire that was hoisted in place in May. The spire also contains a critically important antenna.
A Port Authority spokesman said that the system wasn't installed because infrastructure to support the system had not yet reached the top of the 104-floor building, which is still under construction.
In the early morning hours of March 16, Casquejo, 16, accessed the construction site of the nearly completed tower by slipping through a 1-foot opening in a fence at around 4 a.m., He then allegedly entered the tower by climbing scaffolding.
Casquejo is said to have taken an elevator up to the 88th floor despite not having any identification, according to the paper.
He was let off at the 88th floor and hoofed it up to the 104th floor where he sneaked past a sleeping guard to access the roof.
Accused: Casquejo faces a criminal trespass charge for his WTC stunt, but appears to have gotten away with climbing a construction crane in Hoboken (right)
Casquejo scaled equipment on the roof to reach the 1,776-foot tall Freedom Tower's antenna.
The daredevil spent two hours perched atop the city before trying to sneak his way out as the sun came up.
Casquejo was arrested at 6 a.m. and charged with misdemeanor criminal trespass.
Boisterous: Casquejo was much more talkative on Twitter than when reached by the Post
On Friday, he said he was sorry for his stunt that made national headlines.'I seriously apologize to anyone who may have been insulted or felt disrespected by my actions,' Casquejo said on his Twitter page. 'It was not my intention to do so.'
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ShareNew York Police Department brass are not pleased at the embarrassing security lapse that led to Casquejo being able to make it to the top of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.
'We’ll work very closely with the Port Authority to determine exactly what happened,' Chief Bill Bratton said during a news conference last week.. 'I’m disappointed that it happened, certainly. We have a lot of focus on that area, but again, the focus will significantly increase as it gets closer to opening.'ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pa3IpbCmmZmhe6S7ja6iaKaVrMBwrdGtoJyklWJ%2FdoSWcm5yZ4Sasq95tqippZxdib%2BisMRmep6mpJq%2Fbr%2FTqKepnZRinbC%2B02Z4rqyYpL%2BqwNhmoKerpJa5rbHDZqqem6WntrXFjKGYnWaYqbqt