Watch: Two people scale to the top of the Empire State Building
Two people who climbed to the top of the antenna on the Empire State Building have been arrested, the New York Police Department said on Wednesday.
The masked individuals – identified by a law enforcement official as Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov – also appeared to get engaged while on top of the skyscraper.
Police said they were taken into custody without incident. Charges are pending and the investigation remains ongoing, according to police.
A law enforcement official said investigators are still working to determine how the pair accessed a restricted area.
Two Emergency Service Unit officers climbed four ladders to reach the pair at the top of the spire, escorted them down safely and took them into custody.
Angela Nikolau, who has been identified as one of the two climbers, posted photos and video from the incident on Instagram, including a shot of her engagement ring with the city in the background.
Her account features dozens of posts showing Nikolau and co-climber Kuznetsov, who goes by Ivan Beerkus posing at the top of various buildings and tall structures.
A pinned post at the top of her page promotes “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” a Netflix documentary from 2024.
Netflix declined to comment on Wednesday.
Videos showed the pair on top of the antenna unveiling a banner which read, “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.”
Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe told ITV News’ US partner CNN that the dangerous stunt put city and police officials as well as the building owners in a “tough spot.”
“They are going to have to do whatever they can to see that these people are prosecuted for any appropriate charges because they cannot take the chance that others will see this and decide to also try it,” McCabe said.
“The last thing that people who are responsible for the Empire State Building want is to turn this place into a target for that sort of activity, because ultimately it will end in some sort of tragedy. The danger here, the recklessness, is obvious and can’t be overstated,” he added.
It was not clear how the pair managed to reach the top of the 1,454-foot landmark.
The building’s management said in a statement that the episode was “unauthorised” and posed no danger to anyone in the building.
The antenna at the top of the Empire State Building transmits broadcast signals for virtually all of New York’s local TV and radio stations.
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