NYPD reveals new details after people seen leaving sewer system near Penn Station
MANHATTAN (WABC) -- The NYPD is investigating after three people were caught on camera climbing out of a manhole near Penn Station wearing overalls and headlamps last week.
Detectives believe many of the underground scavengers caught on camera are migrants searching for anything of value in the sewer system.
No arrests have been made in the most recent incident near Penn Station, but detectives have identified or caught up with men in other cases. They were either charged with low-level crimes that were dismissed because they are first-time offenders or their prosecutions were declined altogether, detectives say.
Now, the NYPD says it's looking into the video, which shows a group of people climbing out of the sewer on 7th Avenue by 32nd Street last Tuesday at 4 a.m.
Police say they are looking for three people in the August 18 incident. Police are reviewing recovered surveillance video.
Detectives learned of a scavenger culture in places like Venezuela, which saw a surge of nationals into the city during the immigration crisis, beginning in 2022.
Inspections following recent incidents found no threat to the infrastructure.
City officials stress that sneaking into manholes is "both illegal and extremely dangerous."
"DEP works closely with our public safety partners to help ensure the safety and security of critical infrastructure throughout New York City. Entering the sewer system is both illegal and extremely dangerous. Sewers can contain numerous hazards, including noxious and potentially deadly gases, unstable surfaces, flooding risks, and confined spaces. For these reasons, members of the public should never enter a pipe, drain, catch basin, manhole, or outfall," a DEP spokesperson said.
Matt McCann is a construction worker in the area and he says he's seen the underground trespassers before.
"I don't know what the hell they're doing down there because they get the waders on. You know, they got their coal miners caps going on," McCann said.
New York City's sewer system is made up of an elaborate and winding network of 7,400 miles of wastewater and stormwater pipes constructed in the 1800s.
Earlier this summer, surveillance video captured small groups of people exiting the sewer system in Brooklyn and Queens as well.
There were four arrests in the previous incidents in Williamsburg and Gravesend in May, where those who were charged told police they were scavenging for valuables.
There was at least one incident in Queens that resulted in an arrest, but charges were ultimately not pursued.
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