Two men have been arrested after people were seen emerging from a manhole in New York near to where Benjamin Netanyahu has previously stayed. Samuel Reveron, 25, and Kevin Rodriguez, 26, have been accused of conspiracy and trespassing following reports of men coming out of a sewer near East 61st Street and Park Avenue at around 1.38am on Wednesday.
Incident near UN General Assembly
Three men were allegedly spotted in what the New York Police Department says is the latest incident, following others in which people have entered sewers looking for scrap metal or items of value that may have been washed away. This case led to fears that there might have been a connection with the UN General Assembly this week, with world leaders having arrived in the city.
The manhole in question was close to the hotel where Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has stayed previously, although he didn't on this occasion.
Police statement and court proceedings
"This incident fits that same criteria, but out of an abundance of caution given the UN General Assembly and the sensitivity of the location, the NYPD is conducting additional security sweeps with our federal partners," the police department said in a statement, the BBC reports. The pair both "identified themselves as the individuals that entered the manhole" according to the court document, reports NBC.
Rodriguez and Reveron, both from Queens, were arrested on Thursday and during a hearing on Friday morning, the two men pleaded not guilty and were released from custody.
Lawyer challenges allegations
Meanwhile Brian Kennedy, a lawyer for Reveron, challenged the claim that his client was in the sewer when speaking to reporters. "It seems like not much of a case," Kennedy said. "I understand that it is strange that it’s alleged he went (into the sewer). But there’s no connection to the UN or the appearance of Netanyahu or any other kind of nefarious scheme."
"It’s not advised to go into a sewer. Besides the grime and rats, there are other dangers down there. It’s not something I would be doing." There have been several other incidents this year where people have been caught on video coming out from New York sewers. Some were spotted emerging from manholes in Brooklyn in May. Then in August, surveillance footage showed a person coming out of a manhole in Queens early in the morning.
