Empire State Building climbers out on supervised release after being arraigned for daring stunt
The two people who scaled the Empire State Building are out of jail on supervised release Thursday morning after the daredevil stunt.
Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, and Angelina Nikolau, 33, were arraigned on a host of charges, including burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, violation of local law, possession of burglar's tools, criminal tampering, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.
The charges were not bail eligible, but given the seriousness of the incident, the judge placed them on supervised release.
The event gripped the city as Kuznestov and Nikolau held onto the building's spire, more than 1,400 feet in the air. They were seen waving a banner before apparently getting engaged.
How did they get all the way up there?
A security official and custodian told an NYPD officer assigned to the Empire State Building at 11:15 a.m. that there was a possible breach of security at the antenna on top of the building, according to court documents.
The NYPD officer said he saw surveillance footage showing the two individuals scaling the antenna.
The officer said Kuznestov and Nikolau must have passed through multiple restricted-access areas, according to court documents. That included the 103rd floor, which is only accessible to people who have a special key card to a secure door on the 102nd floor.
They accessed the spire by breaking a lock on a security door on the 104th floor, according to the criminal complaint.
The cost to repair the damage to the security floor is $2,000, police said.
Representatives from the Empire State Building have not answered how the couple was able to get past security. A spokesperson said there was no danger to tenants, visitors or guests.
Police power down broadcast antenna
The spire serves as a radio and television transmission tower for local stations. It poses dangers due to the possibility of being exposed to radio waves.
"The antenna emits high-frequency radio signals that are powerful enough to cause harm to the human body," the complaint read.
The antenna was powered down before members of the NYPD's Emergency Services Unit could approach the couple on and around it. The Emergency Services Unit members who climbed up the tower had to wait 30 minutes after the antenna was powered down before they could safely ascend, the complaint says.
Police body camera video showed responding officers scaling the tower and taking the two into custody.
Who are the climbers?
The couple was identified as Ivan Kuznetsov and Angelina Nikolau by the NYPD. On social media, Kuznetsov is identified as Ivan Beerkus, and Nikolau is known as Angela.
They live in East Orange, New Jersey, but are originally from Russia.
Kuznetsov and Nikolau have a history of performing similar daring stunts without safety equipment. They are known as the "Skywalkers," featured in a popular Netflix documentary.
They were mentioned in the film for climbing Malaysia's Merdeka 118 Tower, which is 2,227 feet tall.
