Two Arrested After Emerging From Sewer Near Netanyahu's UN Hotel
Two young men were arrested in New York City after being observed exiting a sewer system near the hotel where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was staying during the UN General Assembly. A third individual involved is still being sought by authorities. The New York Police Department is investigating whether the three intended to harm the prime minister or if they entered the tunnels to search for valuables washed away by recent storms, a phenomenon previously documented in the city.
Kevin Rodriguez, 26, and Samuel Rebron, 25, both residents of Queens, were apprehended on Thursday evening. They were spotted emerging from the sewer adjacent to the hotel where Netanyahu was lodged. The NYPD stated that the three are charged with trespassing and unlawful entry, as accessing the sewer system is illegal in New York. Rodriguez and Rebron appeared before a judge on Friday morning, pleaded not guilty to the charges, and were released from custody.
NYPD investigators are currently examining the possibility that the trio's actions near Netanyahu's accommodation were part of a plot to harm the Israeli leader. Alternatively, they may have been seeking valuables that had been swept into the sewer system by severe storms that have impacted the area in recent months. The police department has apprehended several individuals in recent months who were found exiting the city's sewer system after entering it to look for valuables.
In August, police reported investigating a case where three people wearing overalls and headlamps were seen entering the sewer. Security cameras in May also captured a group of men descending into a sewer in Brooklyn, apparently in search of items lost during heavy storms. "This incident shares similar characteristics, but out of an abundance of caution, given the UN General Assembly convening and the sensitivity of the location, the police are conducting additional security sweeps in cooperation with federal agencies," the NYPD said in a statement.
