Two men, Kevin Rodriguez and Samuel Reveron, both 25, were arrested in New York City on Friday. They face charges of trespassing and conspiracy after allegedly emerging from manholes across the city.
Police reportedly suspect the individuals of searching for valuables that had been washed into the storm drains and sewer system. Court documents indicate that both Rodriguez and Reveron were released without being required to post bail, with Reveron receiving supervised release and Rodriguez released on his own recognizance.
The arrests follow earlier reports, including an incident on Thursday where three people reportedly emerged from a manhole on Manhattan’s Upper East Side during the United Nations general assembly. A New York police spokesperson stated that the case met the "same criteria" as other recent incidents involving individuals entering the sewer system to look for valuables and scrap metal after a storm.
Police are conducting additional security sweeps with federal partners "out of an abundance of caution given the UN general assembly and the sensitivity of the location." In late August, New York police also investigated a social media video showing three people emerging from a manhole near Madison Square Garden, following a series of similar reports across Brooklyn and Queens.