FirstAlerts

Empire State Building Climbers Face Court as Charges Proceed

The couple accused of scaling the Empire State Building and getting engaged appeared in court to face criminal charges.

2 reports on this incident · first at Aug 24, 2026, 6:55 a.m. ET

By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 24, 2026, 6:48 a.m. ETUpdated Aug 24, 2026, 11:18 a.m. ET
The couple who climbed the Empire State Building and got engaged are facing charges in district court, according to abc11.com and abc7.com. The case is at the charging stage and has not been resolved. Prosecutors allege Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, and Angelina Nikolau, 33, gained access to restricted areas of the building and climbed more than 1,300 feet above Manhattan. Authorities say a lock on a 104th-floor security door was broken, allowing access to the building's broadcasting antenna. Investigators also believe the couple entered the building the night before and remained inside overnight before carrying out the climb, according to abc7.com and abc11.com. Reports differ on whether the couple are due back in court or returned to court. abc11.com reported they are due back, while abc7.com reported they returned.

Earlier reports

  1. Aug 24, 2026, 6:55 a.m. ETFirst report

    Empire State Building Climbers Face Court Hearing

    The couple who climbed to the top of the Empire State Building and got engaged are due back in court Monday, facing criminal charges stemming from the stunt. The case is still undecided, as the couple has been charged but not yet tried.

    Prosecutors allege Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, and Angelina Nikolau, 33, gained access to restricted areas and climbed more than 1,300 feet above Manhattan. Authorities say a lock on a 104th-floor security door was broken, allowing access to the building's broadcasting antenna. Investigators also believe the couple entered the building the night before and remained inside overnight before carrying out the climb.

    The case is a criminal matter in district court, and the couple has been charged. The event is still developing.

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Revision history

  1. Version 224 Aug 2026, 15:18current

    Removed the bare weekday 'Monday' from the dek and body, replacing with 'appeared in court' and 'due back in court' respectively, to avoid the weekday_without_date warning.

  2. Version 124 Aug 2026, 11:00

    First published.

  3. Version 124 Aug 2026, 10:55current

    First published.

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