He’s busted yet again in copper caper

A career copper cable thief who targets the subway system was busted near a Brooklyn scrapyard Thursday with, you guessed it, 15 feet of stolen copper slung over his shoulder, police said.

Prince Hayes, 57, has been a subway scourge for nearly 15 years, cops said, using a hacksaw and pliers to steal copper cables from electrical circuits that power trains, just to sell them for $5 a pound to pay for his drug habit.

When cable was swiped along the tracks at the Bergen St./Smith St. station in Boerum Hill on Thursday, the NYPD’s transit bureau special projects unit staked out scrapyards.

At about 11 a.m., they spotted Hayes near Scrap King, on 19th St. in Gowanus.

He was arrested and charged with criminal mischief, possession of burglar’s tools, petty larceny and possession of stolen property.

This is the second time this month Hayes was nabbed for stealing cable in Brooklyn.

On July 2, he was busted for the theft of 60 feet of cable, worth $540, from a tunnel at Dekalb Ave. and Flatbush Ave. Extension, police said.

Then, on Tuesday, Hayes allegedly sold 3 feet of copper wire, marked as New York City Transit property, at Scrap King.

Stealing copper can trip emergency brakes, causing long delays or even explosions, transit officials have said.

Hayes has about 50 arrests on his record, which dates back to 1989. In 2016, he was sentenced to two years in prison for reckless endangerment for stealing copper. He has served three other state prison sentences, including one other for reckless endangerment.

Hayes was paroled last year and was ordered to stay out of the subways — unless he’s going to see his parole officer.

He lives in an East Village homeless shelter and doesn’t work, authorities said.

“This is what he does,” a police source said. “He steals copper.”