BOSTON -- The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is looking for a man who broke a gate at a subway stop early Wednesday morning to avoid paying the fare.

A security camera caught a middle-aged black male with a large build and shaved head squeeze through a passenger gate at the Green Line's Science Park at about 5:50 am on Wednesday. When the man pried apart the 1-inch glass gate, it broke.

"He was pretty persistent in trying to get through," said MBTA General Manager Daniel Grabauskas said.

MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said it will cost about $2,000 to replace the broken gate.

Grabauskas said fare evasion is not something the MBTA takes lightly and will use all resources to prosecute him.

"It is a fairness issue and an equity issue. We try to keep fares reasonable, but that is predicated by the fact that everybody pays," Grabauskas said.

In the surveillance video, the man is wearing a yellow plaid button-down short-sleeved shirt with a white T-shirt, khaki cargo shorts and white sneakers with black trim.

If caught, the man faces malicious destruction of property and fare evasion charges. The man was avoiding a $1.70 fare.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call MBTA police's Criminal Investigation Unit at 617-222-1050.