2 arrested for climbing into NYC sewer system, triggering massive police response during week of U.N. meetings

Two people have been arrested in this week's sewer intrusion on New York's Upper East Side, which sparked a massive police response. 

Kevin Rodriguez, 26, and Samuel Reveron, 25, face trespass and conspiracy charges. The two men from Queens were arrested Thursday evening, according to police.

Police said the pair were part of a group of six people that entered a sewer on Park Avenue near 61st Street early Wednesday morning.

The incident triggered a large police response because it took place amid heightened security measures due to the United Nations General Assembly, with numerous dignitaries staying in the area where the incursion took place. 

According to the criminal complaint, the group of six entered the sewer at 1:38 a.m. Wednesday and were spotted on surveillance video returning to their vehicles at around 4 a.m. According to the complaint, police tracked the suspects down through their license plates. 

When questioned by police, the two told officers they were in the sewer system looking for valuables that get washed away during storms, according to the complaint. 

Meanwhile, there was yet another sewer intrusion Friday. Police say three men were spotted climbing out of a sewer at Bay Ridge Parkway and 17th Avenue around 4:30 a.m. No arrests have been made as yet in that incident. 

New York City and even Long Island have seen a number of recent sewer-related incidents. In previous cases, police sources have said the sewer intruders were either treasure hunters or urban explorers. 

Several people faced criminal mischief and burglary charges following a similar sewer incident last year in Brooklyn. 

City officials strongly warn people against entering the sewer system, saying it poses "numerous hazards, including noxious and potentially deadly gases, unstable surfaces, flooding risks, and confined spaces."