{"id":3007,"date":"2026-07-03T10:03:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T10:03:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=3007"},"modified":"2026-07-03T10:03:15","modified_gmt":"2026-07-03T10:03:15","slug":"couple-charged-for-empire-state-building-proposal-share-a-kiss-after-leaving-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=3007","title":{"rendered":"Couple charged for Empire State Building proposal share a kiss after leaving court"},"content":{"rendered":"
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NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 A skyscraper-scaling daredevil told police that he and his girlfriend climbed the Empire State Building\u2019s antenna and unfurled a banner about love and peace because he wanted to \u201cdo something special\u201d for their engagement, prosecutors said Thursday at the couple\u2019s arraignment on felony reckless endangerment, burglary and other charges.<\/p>\n

Read more Counselor accused of child sex crimes against former client in Phoenix<\/a><\/p>\n

The couple, who go by Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, said little as they left court, though Beerkus responded to a journalist\u2019s question about the stunt by saying: \u201cWe believe in love.\u201d<\/p>\n

Authorities said the two \u2014 who were the subject of the 2024 Netflix documentary \u201cSkywalkers: A Love Story\u201d about their \u201crooftopping\u201d exploits and budding romance \u2014 created not only a spectacle but a danger by ascending the famed skyscraper\u2019s broadcast antenna Wednesday.<\/p>\n

After reaching the top, 1,454 feet (443 meters) above midtown Manhattan, the climbers displayed a black banner reading: \u201cWhen the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace,\u201d news helicopter video showed.<\/p>\n

Then they collected the banner and descended to a slightly lower ledge, where an apparently successful marriage proposal unfolded. Nikolau posted images of the escapade on her social media accounts, including a photo that modeled an engagement-style ring above a bird\u2019s-eye view of Manhattan.<\/p>\n

Police waited about a half-hour for the antenna to be powered down before Emergency Services Unit officers started ascending and eventually intercepted the climbers on their way down, according to the complaint, which noted the danger to officers who climbed about 1,250 feet (381 meters) above the ground. The court document identified the two by their formal names, Angelina Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov.<\/p>\n

\u201cSkywalkers: A Love Story\u201d follows Beerkus, now 32, and Nikolau, 33, as they make often unauthorized ascents of tall structures, sometimes posing as construction workers to sneak in.<\/p>\n

Read more Man posted threats to kill Sheriff Jerry Sheridan, MCSO says<\/a><\/p>\n

The court complaint said police found a broken lock on a security door on the Empire State Building\u2019s restricted-access 104th floor, which provides access to the antenna. The highest public floor is the 102nd, where there\u2019s an observation deck. Going higher requires a key card, according to the court complaint.<\/p>\n

The Empire State Building\u2019s management has called the climb \u201cunauthorized\u201d but hasn\u2019t answered questions about what interactions, if any, the daredevils had with security workers. Visitors to the skyscraper are screened and told not to bring large packages, sports equipment, costumes or masks, among other items.<\/p>\n

Beerkus and Nikolau were released without bail, in accordance with New York laws that restrict when monetary bail can be set. Their attorney, Jason Krinsky, said outside court that once prosecutors provide evidence, he and his clients would assess it and determine next steps.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a way to propose \u2014 something you can only dream of,” Krinsky said. \u201cSo you\u2019ve got to, you know, give him some credit for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other daredevils have 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.<\/p>\n

Read more Mom turns in teen daughter after recognizing her in alleged vandalism video shared by owner<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A skyscraper-scaling daredevil told police that he and his girlfriend\u00a0climbed the Empire State Building\u2019s antenna\u00a0and unfurled a banner about love and peace because he wanted to \u201cdo something special\u201d for their engagement, prosecutors said Thursday at the couple\u2019s arraignment on felony reckless endangerment, burglary and other charges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3006,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"\nCouple charged for Empire State Building proposal share a kiss after leaving court - Tucson Moving Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tucsonmovingreport.com\/?p=3007\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Couple charged for Empire State Building proposal share a kiss after leaving court - 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