Couple charged with felonies for Empire State Building climb-turned-proposal

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NEW YORK (AP) — A skyscraper-scaling daredevil told constabulary that helium and his woman climbed the Empire State Building’s antenna and unfurled a banner astir emotion and bid due to the fact that helium wanted to “do thing special” for their engagement, prosecutors said Thursday astatine the 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 question astir the stunt by saying: "We judge successful love."

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

After reaching the top, 1,454 feet (443 meters) supra midtown Manhattan, the climbers displayed a achromatic banner reading: “When the powerfulness of emotion beats the emotion of powerfulness the satellite knows peace," quality chopper video showed.

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

Police waited astir a half-hour for the antenna to beryllium powered down earlier Emergency Services Unit officers started ascending and yet intercepted the climbers connected their mode down, according to the complaint, which noted the information to officers who climbed astir 1,250 feet (381 meters) supra the ground. The tribunal papers identified the 2 by their ceremonial names, Angelina Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov.

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

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

The Empire State Building's absorption has called the ascent “unauthorized” but hasn't answered questions astir what interactions, if any, the daredevils had with information workers. Visitors to the skyscraper are screened and told not to bring ample packages, sports equipment, costumes oregon masks, among different items.

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

“What a mode to suggest — thing you tin lone imagination of," Krinsky said. “So you've got to, you know, springiness him immoderate recognition for that.”

Other daredevils person climbed the antenna and different parts of the Empire State Building. Those ascents person mostly been unauthorized, but histrion and instrumentalist Jared Leto was allowed to ascent up to the basal of the antenna from the 86th level successful 2023 to beforehand a tour.

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.