Couple charged with felonies for Empire State Building climb-turned-proposal

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Category: Human Interest

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Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. daredevil / ˈdɛərˌdɛv əl / (n.) – a person who enjoys doing very dangerous actions and takes big physical risks, often to get attention
    Example:

    The young daredevil filmed himself climbing to the very top of a building without a safety harness.


  2. arraignment / əˈreɪn mənt / (n.) – a formal court meeting where an accused person is officially told what crimes they are responsible for and must say if they are guilty or not
    Example:

    During his arraignment, the driver said he was not guilty of causing the accident.


  3. exploit / ˈɛk splɔɪt / (n.) – a brave, exciting, or unusual action or adventure that someone has done
    Example:

    The young traveler posted photos on social media to share his latest exploits in Africa.


  4. bird’s-eye view / ˈbɜrdzˌaɪ vju / (n.) – a clear look or picture of a wide area from a very high position, looking straight down
    Example:

    From the airplane window, passengers enjoyed a spectacular bird’s-eye view of the snowy mountains.


  5. intercept / ˌɪn tərˈsɛpt / (v.) – to stop someone or something that is moving from one place to another before they reach their destination
    Example:

    The police managed to intercept the running thief before he could reach the busy main road.


Article

Read the text below.

A skyscraper-scaling daredevil told police that he and his girlfriend climbed the Empire State Building’s antenna and unfurled a banner about love and peace because he wanted to “do something special” for their engagement, prosecutors said at the couple’s arraignment on felony reckless endangerment, burglary, and other charges.


The couple, who go by Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus, said little as they left court, though Beerkus responded to a journalist’s question about the stunt by saying, “We believe in love.”


Authorities said the two—who were the subject of the 2024 Netflix documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story about their “rooftopping” exploits and budding romance— created not only a spectacle but a danger by ascending the famed skyscraper’s broadcast antenna.


After reaching the top, 1,454 feet (443 meters) above midtown Manhattan, the climbers displayed a black banner reading: “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace,” a news helicopter video showed.


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’s-eye view of Manhattan.


Police waited about half an 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.


Skywalkers: A Love Story follows Beerkus and Nikolau as they often make unauthorized ascents of tall structures, sometimes posing as construction workers to sneak in.


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


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • The article states that a Netflix documentary followed the couple’s unauthorized ascents of tall structures. What do you think of this kind of documentary? Would you watch Skywalkers: A Love Story? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Why do you think Netflix showed this kind of documentary? What do you think is the best kind of documentary to watch? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • A climber told police that he and his girlfriend climbed the antenna because he wanted to “do something special” for their engagement. Do you think their reason should be enough to excuse them for their illegal and dangerous actions? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, should a couple’s engagement be a public or private event? Why? What do you think is a special thing that should be done in one’s engagement (ex. have a party with family and friends, announce the engagement through a truck advertisement)? Discuss.