Couple Charged After Climbing Empire State Building for Proposal
WHO:
The Guardian - Angela Nikolau is 33 years old, and Ivan Kuznetsov is 32 years old.
CBS News - Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov are the individuals charged.
The Guardian - Ivan Kuznetsov is also known as Ivan Beerkus.
The Guardian - Both individuals are Russian nationals.
WHAT:
CBS News - Angela Nikolau stated that police have taken her engagement ring as evidence.
ABC7 New York - The couple's lawyer claimed the district attorney's office "overcharged" the case.
ABC7 New York - Kuznetsov told detectives he had to "do something special for his engagement."
ABC7 New York - Nikolau expressed hope when asked if they were getting married in New York City, saying, "I hope so."
ABC7 New York - The couple's attorney mentioned that the Empire State Building's own representatives stated there was "no risk or danger" to anyone in the building during the incident.
ABC7 New York - The couple received supervised release until their next court date on August 24.
ABC7 New York - The couple did not enter a plea during their court appearance.
ABC7 New York - According to the criminal complaint, a lock on a 104th-floor security door had been broken, allowing access to the broadcasting antenna more than 1,300 feet above ground.
ABC7 New York - Investigators believe the couple entered the Empire State Building the night before and hid there overnight.
ABC7 New York - A security camera captured them going through a hatch on the 102nd floor at 5 a.m. on the day of the incident.
ABC7 New York - The couple appeared in court wearing the same black clothes they were seen climbing in on the day of the incident.
ABC7 New York - NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the body camera footage of the incident as "harrowing" and stated it "can take your breath away."
ABC7 New York - The couple was profiled in the 2024 documentary "Skywalkers: A Love Story," currently available on Netflix.
The Guardian - The couple unfurled a large black flag reading: “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.”
The Guardian - Kuznetsov’s Instagram account, @beerkus, has more than half a million followers, while Nikolau's account has 1.8 million followers.
CBS News - The couple is facing multiple criminal charges after climbing the Empire State Building.
The Guardian - Charges include burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, criminal trespass, criminal tampering, disorderly conduct, and possession of burglar’s tools.
The Guardian - The couple unfurled a peace banner and kissed at the peak of the building.
The Guardian - They spent their first night of engagement in separate cells.
WHERE:
The Guardian - The couple shares an address in New Jersey.
CBS News - The incident occurred at the Empire State Building in New York.
The Guardian - They were arraigned in New York City criminal court.
WHEN:
The Guardian - The couple was arrested on Wednesday.
The Guardian - They were scheduled to appear in court at 9am EST on Thursday.
WHY:
The Guardian - The owners of the Empire State Building stated they prefer couples in love to follow a more orthodox route for proposals.
CBS News - The man stated he wanted to "do something special" for his engagement.
HOW:
ABC7 New York - Sources indicated that the couple appeared to have used tools to loosen brackets to access a stairwell.
The Guardian - The couple's stunt was monitored by a New York police department drone and helicopter, and they were arrested by the department’s elite emergency service unit, which specializes in rescues at altitude.
The Guardian - Investigators are working to determine how the couple scaled the final stages of the Empire State Building.
The Guardian - Their stunt was monitored by a New York police department drone and helicopter, and they were arrested by the department’s elite emergency service unit.
(UPDATED July 3, 2026 07:59 UTC)
Angela Nikolau has reported that police have taken her engagement ring as evidence in an ongoing case, while the couple's lawyer argues that the district attorney's office has "overcharged" the case. Sources suggest that Nikolau and her partner, Kuznetsov, used tools to loosen brackets to access a stairwell, and Kuznetsov mentioned he wanted to "do something special for his engagement." Despite the situation, Nikolau expressed hope about their future, stating, "I hope so," when asked if they were getting married in New York City, and the couple's attorney noted that representatives from the Empire State Building confirmed there was "no risk or danger" to anyone during the incident.
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(UPDATED July 3, 2026 06:12 UTC)
A couple involved in a high-profile incident at the Empire State Building has received supervised release until their next court date on August 24, but they did not enter a plea during their appearance. Investigators believe they accessed the building by breaking a lock on a 104th-floor security door and were captured on security cameras entering a hatch on the 102nd floor early that morning. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch described the body camera footage from the incident as "harrowing," adding that it "can take your breath away," while the couple gained some notoriety from their appearance in the 2024 documentary "Skywalkers: A Love Story," now available on Netflix.
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(UPDATED July 3, 2026 04:16 UTC)
A couple from New Jersey, Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov, made headlines when they unfurled a large black flag that read, “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.” Kuznetsov, who has over half a million followers on Instagram, and Nikolau, who boasts 1.8 million, were arrested by New York's elite emergency service unit after their stunt was monitored by a police drone and helicopter. The owners of the Empire State Building have expressed a preference for couples in love to follow a more traditional route for proposals.
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(UPDATED July 3, 2026 01:32 UTC)
Angela Nikolau and Ivan Kuznetsov, both Russian nationals, are facing multiple criminal charges after climbing the Empire State Building in New York, where they unfurled a peace banner and kissed at the peak. The charges against them include burglary, reckless endangerment, and criminal trespass, among others, and they spent their first night of engagement in separate cells following their arrest on Wednesday. Investigators are now looking into how the couple managed to scale the building, which was monitored by police drones and helicopters during the stunt.