New York police arrested two men who were seen on Wednesday emerging from a manhole, or the city's underground sewer system, the BBC reported.
The police arrested 26-year-old Kevin Rodriguez and 25-year-old Samuel Reveron on charges of conspiracy and trespassing. The three men were seen emerging from a manhole near the hotel where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to stay during the United Nations General Assembly, according to reports.
Rodriguez and Reveron, both from Queens, were arrested on Thursday. They had fled the scene after climbing out of the manhole, when police were called to the scene at 4.30am on Wednesday. During a hearing on Friday morning, the two men pleaded not guilty and were released from custody.
According to court documents, Rodriguez and Reveron were released without the requirement to post bail as their charges were not suitable for setting a bail amount. Reveron was granted supervised release, while Rodriguez was released on his own recognizance. Reveron had told police: "We enter the sewer and look for values stuck in the storm drains and sewage, gold, anything valuable."
The arrests of Reveron and Rodriguez followed reports on Thursday that three people had emerged from a manhole on Upper East Side, Manhattan, during the UN General Assembly in New York. The three were seen emerging from the sewer near Park Avenue and East 61st Street around 4.35am on Wednesday, before fleeing north on Park Avenue, according to WABC. Police officers responding to the 911 call for a possible crime learned of the situation upon arriving near 535 Park Avenue. The police camera recorded the scene, the station reported, citing police sources.
A police spokesperson said the case met the "same criteria" as other recent cases involving individuals entering the sewer system to search for valuable metals after a storm. Police stated that they were conducting additional security checks with their federal partners, out of an abundance of caution given the UN General Assembly and the sensitivity of the location.
Police New York stated that they had seen a number of incidents where people entered the sewer system looking for valuable metals and scrap metal after a storm. Entry into the sewer system is illegal and dangerous, officials said, warning that there is a risk of toxic gases and flooding in the enclosed space. One woman died this year after opening a car door and accidentally falling into an open manhole in midtown Manhattan.
In August, footage showed a person emerging from a manhole in Queens early in the morning. That month, the NYPD announced it was investigating three people in work clothes seen climbing out of a manhole near Penn Station. In May, a group of people were seen by cameras moving a manhole cover and descending into the sewer in south Brooklyn. In late August, the police announced they were investigating video on social media showing three people emerging from a manhole near Madison Square Garden. Witness Akiva Joffe said: "Three random guys walking around in strange clothes, they open the sewer, enter like Ninja Turtles."
