Overview
- Police say five people climbed out of a manhole on East 82nd Street and drove away in a black SUV after the group was seen just after 2 a.m. on Friday.
- Responders from the NYPD and the Department of Environmental Protection reportedly recovered two shovels and other tools from the manhole while the investigation continues and no arrests have been made.
- This is the latest in at least seven similar sightings since May that have occurred across Manhattan and Long Island and prompted heightened local security during large events.
- Two men were arrested in a prior Upper East Side intrusion and charged with trespass and conspiracy after telling investigators they entered sewers to search for valuables washed into drains.
- City officials warn that entering sewers is illegal and dangerous because of toxic gases, sudden flooding and confined‑space hazards, and authorities say they will continue using video, license‑plate readers and door‑to‑door canvassing to pursue leads.