Two men arrested for climbing into NYC sewers near Netanyahu hotel
Samuel Reveron and Kevin Rodriguez were charged with trespassing after emerging from a Manhattan manhole near East 61st Street. They told police they were searching for valuables washed into the drains.
Two arrested over mysterious sewer entry near East 61st Street, Manhattan
Two men have been charged with trespassing in connection with a late-night sewer entry in Midtown Manhattan, court records published on Friday reveal, according to nbcnews.com.
Samuel Reveron, 25, and Kevin Rodriguez, 26, were each booked on two counts of trespassing following an incident recorded at approximately 1:38 a.m. on Wednesday, near East 61st Street and Park Avenue.
The pair were seen climbing out of a manhole cover in the area. At around 4 a.m., the individuals returned to their vehicles and drove in tandem over the Queensboro Bridge, triggering automatic licence plate readers that logged their vehicles' VIN numbers and plates, according to a criminal complaint.
Both men own the vehicles flagged by the readers. Reveron and Rodriguez subsequently "identified themselves as the individuals that entered the manhole" early Wednesday morning, the court document states. They "both described in sum and substance that they entered the manhole together to look for valuables that get washed away in the storm drains and sewers," authorities said.
Neither man has been charged in connection with other sewer break-ins. However, the NYPD stated earlier that Wednesday's incident "fits that same criteria" as previous cases of unauthorised sewer entries.
The location of the incident drew heightened scrutiny from law enforcement. The sighting occurred steps from a hotel where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had stayed during previous visits to New York City — though he did not stay there this week. The incident also coincided with the United Nations General Assembly being in session, placing additional pressure on local law enforcement already managing the presence of numerous world leaders in the city.
Brian Kennedy, an attorney for Reveron, contested the allegation that his client had entered the sewers. He told nbcnews.com on Friday that even if his client had gone underground, there was no intent to harm anyone.
"It seems like not much of a case," Kennedy said. "I understand that it is strange that it's alleged he went (into the sewer). But there's no connection to the UN or the appearance of Netanyahu or any other kind of nefarious scheme."
Should it be proven that Reveron did go underground, Kennedy said he would advise his client against repeating the act. "It's not advised to go into a sewer," he said. "Besides the grime and rats, there are other dangers down there."
Rodriguez's attorney declined to comment.
Wednesday's arrest is not an isolated occurrence. Earlier this year, at least two separate incidents were recorded in which men — unaffiliated with any public works crews — were filmed climbing out of manholes in Brooklyn neighbourhoods in late May.
The recurring incidents have revived New York City's longstanding fascination with so-called "mole men" — a piece of urban folklore describing people who allegedly live beneath the city streets. The myth gained wider attention in 1993 when journalist Jennifer Toth published The Mole People: Life in the Tunnels Beneath New York City, documenting homeless individuals living in or around the city's train tunnels.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)