Two people were taken into NYPD custody after climbing to the top of the Empire State Building, where they unfurled a large banner atop the iconic Manhattan landmark.
The dangerous trespassing stunt appeared to be an act of love.
Police received 911 calls around 12 p.m. Wednesday, when the death-defying duo were first spotted 1,454 feet in the air on the top of the building’s antenna. Both were dressed in black clothing and face coverings.
Watch NBC 4 free wherever you are
The trespassing duo fastened the banner with large white lettering to the antenna: “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.”
After approximately 30 minutes atop the tower, the pair began climbing down the spire and onto a platform where they embraced. One of the trespassers appeared to propose to the other.
Roughly 10 minutes later, they began descending the rest of the spire.
The NYPD is looking into whether the two individuals atop the building are the same pair behind a documentary called “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” showing them pull off similar stunts on skyscrapers across the globe.
The so-called rooftopping documentary follows the couple Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus. The two are Russian nationals who often are filmed climbing buildings with little to no safety equipment. Neither Nikolau nor Beerkus have a known criminal history in New York City.
Law enforcement sources told NBC New York the two people gave police their names as Ivan Kuznetsov (who goes by Ivan Beerkus online) and Angelina Nikolau. The two could be looking at charges like reckless endangerment, burglary, criminal trespass and more, according to sources.
It wasn’t clear how the pair gained access to the antenna, which rises well above public areas of the 102-story building.
A spokesperson for the Empire State Building called Wednesday’s incident “unauthorized,” but noted that there was no danger to building tenants, visitors or observation deck guests at any time. The spokesperson also made a tongue-in-cheek joke about the incident, saying the building “does offer a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals.”
The Empire State Building Observation Deck also poked fun at the incident, apologizing on X to Madison Square Garden — where Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are rumored to be getting married on Friday — because “I had to make this week all about me.”
The building appeared to remain open during the incident. An employee told NBC New York she could not figure out how the climbers managed to get to the top of the landmark.
“I don’t know how — at first I thought they tried to scale the outside of the building. But we would have heard about that,” an employee named Sydney said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Leave a Reply