Five men have been charged with misdemeanor trespassing in two separate manhole cases in Upper Manhattan, according to police and criminal complaints made public Friday, and two of them told officers they had gone underground looking for jewelry.
The first case began around 11 p.m. on Sept. 29, when a 911 call sent officers to Nagle Avenue in Inwood, police said. According to the complaint, an officer found Xavier Guevara Lizcano, 24, in the driver’s seat of a black Nissan Rogue he said was his, parked about a foot from a manhole cover. Police found a crowbar and a screwdriver in the trunk. Guevara Lizcano told police that two people had paid him $200 that night to drive them to manholes where they could search for jewelry, the complaint says.
Later that night, a detective watched two people pop their heads out of a manhole on Nagle Avenue, then lower the cover and go back down. About 20 minutes later, a sergeant found Guenis Martinez, 33, and Wilfredo Teran Briceno, 23, at Broadway and Dyckman Street. The complaint says they were soaking wet and smelled like sewage, and that they told police they had gone into the sewer looking for jewelry.
The second case came days later. Shortly after midnight on Oct. 4, a police lieutenant saw two men standing over a manhole at Indian Road and West 218th Street while a third person climbed in and put the cover back over the opening, according to a second complaint. Luis Chaparro, 28, and Jean Rosa, 31, were arrested at the scene. Police and the complaint did not say why the men were there, and the third person was not identified.
All five were charged with third-degree criminal trespass and trespass, both misdemeanors, according to the complaints and court records. Four of the men pleaded not guilty at their arraignments and were released without bail earlier this month, court records show. Rosa does not appear in online court records. Guevara Lizcano, Martinez and Teran Briceno are due back in court Nov. 18.
Lawyers for four of the men did not return messages seeking comment, and an attorney for Guevara Lizcano declined to comment, Gothamist reported.
The city’s Department of Environmental Protection has warned that entering the sewers is both illegal and dangerous.
The Upper Manhattan arrests are not the first of their kind. Police previously arrested two Queens men after they were seen surfacing through a sewer near Park Avenue and East 61st Street.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were the men in the Inwood manhole case arrested?
Five men were charged with misdemeanor trespassing in two separate Upper Manhattan manhole incidents. Two of them told police they had entered the sewers looking for jewelry.
Where did the manhole incidents happen?
The first incident occurred on Nagle Avenue in Inwood, with two men later found at Broadway and Dyckman Street. The second took place at Indian Road and West 218th Street.
What charges did the five men face?
All five men were charged with third-degree criminal trespass and trespass, both misdemeanors. Four pleaded not guilty and were released without bail.
How much did the driver say he was paid?
Driver Xavier Guevara Lizcano, 24, told police two people paid him $200 to drive them to manholes to search for jewelry. He was found in a black Nissan Rogue parked about a foot from a manhole cover.
Is it legal to enter city sewers in New York?
No, the city’s Department of Environmental Protection warns that entering the sewers is both illegal and dangerous. The article notes this is part of a broader pattern of people entering city sewers.
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