NEW YORK (AP) — Authorities are investigating a series of incidents involving groups of people entering New York City’s sewer system at night. Security cameras have captured at least three instances where individuals accessed sewer tunnels through maintenance holes in Brooklyn and Queens.
In one recorded incident on Friday morning in Williamsburg, a group of approximately seven individuals emerged from a maintenance hole in an intersection, visible to passing vehicles. Some members of the group were equipped with headlamps and tools.
Another video showed a similar group in Gravesend, Brooklyn, around 2 a.m., who had reportedly been underground for about three hours. They were seen retrieving fresh clothes from parked cars after exiting the sewer.
On May 5, a group dressed in waterproof gear was recorded prying open a maintenance hole cover in Queens before descending into the sewer. The last person in the group closed the cover as cars approached.
Aki Jakupovic, an auto detailing shop owner, stated that his surveillance cameras captured the group but he could not speculate on their activities below ground.
The city’s Department of Environmental Protection inspected the sewer systems at the Brooklyn locations and confirmed no damage to the infrastructure. The incident in Queens remains under investigation.
Rob Wolejsza, a spokesperson for the department, emphasized that entering the sewers is illegal and poses significant dangers, including hazardous gases and unstable conditions.
In a related incident last month, a woman died after falling into an open maintenance hole in midtown Manhattan, which had been dislodged by a truck.
Police have conducted a thorough sweep of the affected areas and reported no injuries or arrests, stating that they do not believe there is a threat to public safety. Local resident Anthony Purdie expressed concern about the motivations of those entering the sewers, suggesting they might be searching for something significant.
