New York Sewer Surge: Two Arrested After Eerie Emergence From Manholes
On Wednesday, police in New York City apprehended 26‑year‑old Kevin Rodriguez and 25‑year‑old Samuel Reveron after each was seen emerging from a manhole near the hotel set to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the United Nations General Assembly.
The pair were charged with conspiracy and trespassing. They allegedly fled the scene after being observed climbing out of the sewer entry around 4:30 a.m. local time.
The New York Police Department said the incident fits a pattern it has noted since a storm last month, when people have been seen penetrating the underground network in search of valuables and scrap metal.
It added that the manhole emergence “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.”
Three men were first seen exiting a manhole near that same hotel, sparking police action. In earlier months, surveillance footage captured a man leaving a manhole in Queens early in the morning, and the NYPD investigated three people wearing overalls and headlamps near a manhole close to Penn Station.
In May, a group of people was filmed moving a manhole cover and descending into a South Brooklyn sewer. Authorities caution that entering the sewer system is both illegal and dangerous, exposing the public to hazardous gases and flooding.
A tragic incident occurred this year when a woman fell into an open manhole in Midtown Manhattan after opening her car door. The City’s Department of Environmental Protection has repeatedly warned that people should never enter a pipe, drain, catch basin, manhole, or outfall.
During a Friday morning hearing, Rodríguez and Reveron pleaded not guilty and were released from custody. Their case highlights a growing trend of urban “manhole emerging” incidents that the police are treating with heightened scrutiny amid significant international gatherings in the city.
