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New York police have arrested two men accused of emerging from a manhole near a hotel where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reportedly expected to stay during the United Nations General Assembly, according to the BBC.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) said 26-year-old Kevin Rodriguez and 25-year-old Samuel Reveron were arrested on charges of conspiracy and trespassing. Both men are from Queens.
Police said three men were seen leaving the city’s underground sewer system on Wednesday. Rodriguez and Reveron allegedly fled after officers were called to the scene at about 4:30 p.m. local time.
At a hearing on Friday morning, the two men pleaded not guilty and were released from custody, according to court records.
Police conduct additional security sweeps
The NYPD said it had previously recorded several incidents involving people entering the sewer system to search for valuables and scrap metal after storms.
“This incident fits that same criteria, but out of an abundance of caution given the U.N. General Assembly and the sensitivity of the location, the NYPD is conducting additional security sweeps with our federal partners,” the department said.
The arrests follow a series of reports in recent months of people emerging from manholes in different parts of New York City.
In August, surveillance footage showed a person climbing out of a manhole in Queens early in the morning. The NYPD also investigated a separate incident involving three people wearing overalls and headlamps who were seen emerging near Penn Station.
Officials warn of dangerous conditions
In May, surveillance footage showed a group moving a manhole cover and entering the sewer system in South Brooklyn.
City officials have warned that entering New York’s sewer network is illegal and dangerous because of the risk of toxic gases and flooding in confined spaces.
“For these reasons, members of the public should never enter a pipe, drain, catch basin, manhole, or outfall,” the city’s Department of Environmental Protection previously told the BBC.
This year, a woman died after opening her car door and accidentally falling into an open manhole in Midtown Manhattan.
