3 Men Face Charges After Going On 'Treasure Hunt' In Sewers Below Flatbush
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Three men face charges after allegedly going on a treasure hunt in the sewers below Flatbush.
The suspects were pulled out empty handed from the sewers after their four-hour adventure at East 35th Street near Avenue H Wednesday night.
"God knows what they were looking for, and damn sure I wouldn't be crawling through the sewers of New York," said Police Commissioner Bill Bratton.
Marquis Evans, 21, Damien Nieves, 35, and David Hannibal, 45, face trespassing and reckless endangerment charges. They apparently went into the sewer with metal detectors to help find valuables, officials said.
Evans, a Department of Environmental Protection employee, allegedly gave the other two access to the manhole. Securing the manholes is challenging due to the number of them.
"We're not going to weld them all shut," Bratton said. "Any idiot that wants to crawl below the streets unfortunately can do it by prying."
The police were alerted to the incident by a citizen who saw them pop the manhole open and climb in. Bratton praised the caller for following the "see something, say something" adage.