New York City police arrested two Queens men after video showed them climbing from a Park Avenue manhole steps from the hotel where Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu was expected to stay during the United Nations General Assembly, prompting sweeping security checks.
Story Snapshot
- Police arrested two men linked to a manhole exit near Netanyahu’s usual UN-week hotel.
- The men face trespass and conspiracy charges; a third person remains at large.
- The incident triggered extra sweeps amid already tight United Nations General Assembly security.
- Police say recent sewer entries often involve people hunting for valuables after storms.
Arrests Near High-Security Hotel
New York City police said they arrested Kevin Rodriguez, 26, and Samuel Reveron, 25, both from Queens, after investigators tied them to a pre-dawn manhole exit at Park Avenue and East 61st Street on the Upper East Side. The spot sits near a hotel where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regularly stays during the United Nations General Assembly. Officers charged the men with trespass and conspiracy. A third person seen at the scene has not been found, police said.
Investigators said surveillance video captured two individuals emerging from the manhole before fleeing in vehicles, which helped guide the search that ended with arrests on Thursday evening. The police response expanded because the event unfolded during one of the city’s most sensitive security weeks. Federal and local agencies add layers of protection in this area every September as world leaders arrive and protests and motorcades stretch resources.
Why The Location And Timing Mattered
The United Nations General Assembly brings dense crowds, motorcades, and protest activity to Manhattan. The New York Police Department said it conducted extra sweeps “out of an abundance of caution” due to the location’s link to Netanyahu’s lodging and the week’s threat posture. The agency has to treat unusual movements near key sites as potential risks until proven otherwise. That practice is standard during major events and aims to prevent a small gap from becoming a big failure.
Officials also pointed to a broader pattern. Police said the city has seen “a number of incidents” in recent months of people entering sewers to look for valuables or scrap metal after heavy storms. That base rate helps explain conduct that might seem sinister during a high-security week but often tracks to low-level scavenging. Even so, officials stressed that the timing and the address demanded a stronger response this time.
Charges, Open Questions, And Public Impact
Rodriguez and Reveron face trespass and conspiracy counts tied to the manhole exit near the hotel area. Police said a third person is still being sought in the Upper East Side case. Agencies performed added checks in and around Midtown corridors used by delegations and motorcades. Those sweeps looked for tampered infrastructure and other signs of risk, a routine step when an unusual act happens near protected sites.
NYPD arrested Kevin Rodriguez, 26, and Samuel Reveron, 25, on 25 September 2026 after men kept climbing out of New York City manholes.
Both are from Queens. Police charged them with trespass and conspiracy.
The case that triggered the arrests happened around 4:30 a.m. on… pic.twitter.com/KlFEUJwU9B
— Davian (@dhaevian) September 26, 2026
This case sits at the crossroads of two realities: everyday rule-breaking and necessary caution around power. New Yorkers of all politics see the same pattern each year—elite motorcades, frozen zones, and a sense that the system secures leaders better than neighborhoods. The facts here show the response escalated because of place and timing, not politics. Still, the event underscores a shared worry: basic city systems, from sewers to streets, feel vulnerable unless someone is paying close attention.
Sources:
www-cdn.abcnews.com, nypost.com, yahoo.com, cbs8.com, cbsnews.com, nbcnews.com
