The two people who scaled the Empire State Building will appear in court Thursday morning as they face criminal charges for the daredevil stunt.
Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, and Angelina Nikolau, 33, will be in a New York City courtroom at 9 a.m., according to court records.
Two people climbed to the top of the Empire State Building transmission tower on July 1, 2026.
CBS News New York
They are facing multiple charges, including burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, violation of local law, possession of burglar’s tools, criminal tampering, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.
The man who climbed to the top of the Empire State Building on July 1, 2026 appears to propose to the woman.
CBS News New York
The event gripped the city as Kuznestov and Nikolau held onto the building’s spire, more than 1,400 feet in the air. They were seen waving a banner before apparently getting engaged.
How did they get all the way up there?
The couple began their climb around noon Wednesday. They accessed the spire through an unlocked hatch on the 103rd floor used for water tower maintenance, according to sources.
Police body camera video showed responding officers scaling the tower and taking the two into custody.
Representatives from the Empire State Building have not answered how the couple was able to get past security. A spokesperson said there was no danger to tenants, visitors or guests.
Former Chief Broadcast Engineer John Cleary, who is trained to climb the spire, said he doesn’t know how they managed to get inside.
“That hatch is generally locked. And then once you get inside, it’s called the JJ level, and that’s the level right before there’s another hatch that you need a card to open,” he said.
Who are the climbers?
The couple was identified as Ivan Kuznetsov and Angelina Nikolau by the NYPD. On social media, Kuznetsov is identified as Ivan Beerkus, and Nikolau is known as Angela.
They live in East Orange, New Jersey, but are originally from Russia.
Kuznetsov and Nikolau have a history of performing similar daring stunts without safety equipment. They are known as the “Skywalkers,” featured in a popular Netflix documentary.
They were mentioned in the film for climbing Malaysia’s Merdeka 118 Tower, which is 2,227 feet tall.