Two men have been arrested after police said they were caught on surveillance video climbing out of a Manhattan manhole on Park Avenue during a high-security diplomatic visit. The incident prompted security sweeps by local police and federal agents near the United Nations General Assembly.
Manhattan Manhole Incident on Park Avenue
Kevin Rodriguez and Samuel Reveron, 25, both of Queens, were taken into custody and charged with trespassing and conspiracy, according to the New York Police Department. Investigators stated that the two men were captured on surveillance footage emerging from a storm drain at 535 Park Avenue near East 61st Street early Wednesday morning, around 4:35 a.m.
Police sources confirmed that the manhole is situated near the hotel where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to stay during his visit to address the United Nations General Assembly. In response to the breach and the proximity to the visiting dignitary, NYPD officers and federal agents conducted thorough security sweeps of the surrounding area. Authorities reported that nothing suspicious was found during the checks.
Court Appearances and Motive
Following their arrests, Rodriguez and Reveron appeared in court on Friday. According to court documents, both suspects admitted to detectives that they entered the city sewer system to search for valuables, such as jewelry, that had washed away into storm drains. Court records indicate that the charges they faced were not eligible for bail. Reveron received supervised release, while Rodriguez was released on his own recognizance.
Law enforcement officials stated that the suspects fled the scene in two separate vehicles after exiting the sewer. Investigators described the getaway cars as a silver sedan and a four-door vehicle driven by a man wearing a black shirt and gray shorts. Police are still searching for a third person seen climbing out of the manhole on the Upper East Side.
Additional Sewer Incidents Across the City
The Manhattan case is not an isolated event. The NYPD confirmed to FOX 5 NY that a separate incident occurred at approximately 4:30 a.m. Friday in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, where three other men were spotted climbing out of a manhole.
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