It was 100% a crazy person on the street.
Also it says he was caught because he was yelling at people and harassing them on the street. That's basically the exact profile of an unmedicated schizophrenic or similar in NYC.
Source: lived in Manhattan for many years.
The expert who somehow knows all things science and engineering, like they're all just basically the same. Just once I'd like to hear, "I'm an astrophysicist, not a cybersecurity expert. I don't have the first clue where to begin hacking any computer, let alone an alien one that I've never seen before."
Bonus points if the characters have to look for a different solution due to their lack of on-hand expertise in a particular area.