NYPD Busts Two Groups of Manhole Divers in Manhattan
Authorities apprehended five individuals in separate incidents where they were found entering or exiting underground sewer systems.
New York City police have apprehended five individuals in connection with two separate incidents involving unauthorized access to the city's sewer system. The arrests occurred in Upper Manhattan within a week of each other, contributing to a growing mystery surrounding underground activity in the city.
On September 29, around 11:15 p.m., a witness reported seeing two individuals enter a manhole on Nagle Avenue near Dyckman Street. Responding officers detained a man in a nearby car. As officers searched the vicinity, they discovered two more men who appeared to be wet, leading to their arrests. The individuals identified as Wilfredo Teran Briceno, 23, Guenis Martinez, 33, and Xavier Guevara Lizcano, 24, were charged with criminal trespass. Martinez and Briceno reportedly stated they entered the sewers "looking for jewelry," while Lizcano claimed he was paid $200 to drive them.
In a separate incident on October 4, near 12:30 a.m., another pair of individuals were observed entering a manhole at West 218th Street and Indian Road. Police arrived and arrested Jean Rosa, 31, and Luis Chaparro, 28, also charging them with criminal trespass.
All five men were released on their own recognizance as the charges are not bail-eligible. This year has seen multiple reports of individuals, sometimes referred to as "mole people," emerging from manholes across various New York City boroughs, including Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan.