Couple Charged With Felonies For Empire State Building Climb-turned-proposal

NEW YORK — A skyscraper-scaling daredevil told constabulary that he and his woman climbed nan Empire State Building’s antenna and unfurled a banner astir emotion and bid because he wanted to “do thing special” for their engagement, prosecutors said Thursday astatine nan couple’s arraignment connected felony reckless endangerment, burglary and different charges.

The couple, who spell by Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, said small arsenic they near court, though Beerkus responded to a journalist’s mobility astir nan stunt by saying, “We judge successful love.”

Authorities said nan 2 — who were nan taxable of nan 2024 Netflix documentary “Skywalkers: A Love Story ” astir their “rooftopping” exploits and budding romance — created not only a spectacle but besides a threat by ascending nan famed skyscraper’s broadcast antenna Wednesday.

After reaching nan top, 1,454 feet supra Midtown Manhattan, nan climbers displayed a achromatic banner reading, “When nan powerfulness of emotion thumps nan emotion of powerfulness nan world knows peace,” news chopper video showed.

Then they collected nan banner and descended to a somewhat little ledge, wherever an apparently successful matrimony connection unfolded. Nikolau posted images of nan escapade connected her societal media accounts, including a photograph that modeled an engagement-style ringing supra a bird’s-eye position of Manhattan.

Police waited astir half an hr for nan antenna to beryllium powered down earlier Emergency Services Unit officers started ascending and yet intercepted nan climbers connected their measurement down, according to nan tribunal complaint, which noted nan threat to officers who climbed astir 1,250 feet supra nan ground. The tribunal archive identified nan 2 by their general names, Angelina Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov.

“Skywalkers: A Love Story” follows Beerkus, now 32, and Nikolau, 33, arsenic they make often unauthorized ascents of gangly structures, sometimes posing arsenic building workers to sneak in.

The tribunal title said constabulary recovered a surgery fastener connected a information doorway connected nan Empire State Building’s restricted-access 104th floor, which provides entree to nan antenna. The highest nationalist level is nan 102nd, wherever there’s an study deck. Going higher requires a cardinal card, according to nan tribunal complaint.

The Empire State Building’s guidance has called nan climb “unauthorized” but hasn’t answered questions astir what interactions, if any, nan daredevils had pinch information workers. Visitors to nan skyscraper are screened and told not to bring ample packages, sports equipment, costumes aliases masks, among different items.

Beerkus and Nikolau were released without bail, successful accordance pinch New York laws that restrict erstwhile monetary bail tin beryllium set. Their attorney, Jason Krinsky, said extracurricular tribunal that erstwhile prosecutors supply evidence, he and his clients would measure it and find adjacent steps.

“What a measurement to propose — thing you tin only dream of,” Krinsky said. “So you’ve sewage to, you know, springiness him immoderate in installments for that.”

Other daredevils person climbed nan antenna and different parts of nan Empire State Building. Those ascents person mostly been unauthorized, but character and musician Jared Leto was allowed to climb up to nan guidelines of nan antenna from nan 86th level successful 2023 to beforehand a tour.

Peltz writes for nan Associated Press.