Daredevil couple due in court after brazen climb to top of Empire State Building
The climbers, identified as Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov, are due in court in Lower Manhattan on Thursday.
NEW YORK (WABC) -- A man and woman took their love to new heights, but it also took them to jail and now court Thursday morning.
The lovebirds made headlines and captivated the city for climbing to the of the Empire State Building and then getting engaged.
The couple, 32-year-old Ivan Kuznetsov and 33-year-old Angelina Nikolau, is expected to be arraigned Thursday morning after spending the first night of their engagement in separate holding cells.
The couple climbed the spire of the Empire State Building Wednesday and police are trying to figure out how they did it.
Video captured the couple as they were walked out of an NYPD police precinct in Midtown on Wednesday.
Kuznetsov, also known as Beerkus, and Nikolau are from Moscow and they're well known for scaling some of the world's tallest structures.
Wednesday, when they climbed the Empire State Building, they held up a banner. It had a Jimi Hendrix quote on it, "When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace."
On the way down, Kuznetsov proposed to Nikolai.
The NYPD's highly skilled Emergency Service Unit scaled the spire to help bring them down.
Kuznetsov and Nikolai are facing numerous charges following their stunt including burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, violation of local laws, possession of burglar's tools, criminal tampering, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.
Now, investigators are looking into how this happened.
"They didn't just stumble into that hatch. There was what we would call pre-observational surveillance. Someone cased the joint if you will," said Greg Sanfilippo, Vice President, Doyle Security Services.
Nikolau and Kuznetsov are known for their daredevil climbs around the world. In fact, they were profiled in the 2024 documentary "Skywalkers: A Love Story," currently available on Netflix.
In a statement, the Empire State Building wrote, "There was at no time danger to tenants, visitors, and Empire State Building Observation Deck guests. It is to be emphasized that the Empire State Building Observation Deck, atop the World's Most Famous Building in the center of New York City, does offer a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals."
Daredevils have previously climbed the antenna and other parts of the Empire State Building. Those ascents have largely been unauthorized, but actor and musician Jared Leto was allowed to climb up to the base of the antenna from the 86th floor in 2023 to promote a tour.
The couple's arraignment is set to be held in Lower Manhattan.
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