Love took them to the top… then police were waiting. 😳💍 A pair of daredevils are now in custody after climbing more than 1,400 feet up the Empire State Building and getting engaged at the summit. But one shocking detail about how they pulled off the dangerous stunt has everyone talking
A dramatic and highly unauthorized marriage proposal unfolded in the skies over Manhattan on Wednesday afternoon when a pair of notorious daredevils scaled the extreme heights of the Empire State Building. Angela Nikolau, a thirty-three-year-old self-described neoartist, and her partner, thirty-two-year-old Ivan Kuznetsov—widely recognized on social media under the moniker Ivan “Vanya” Beerkus”—managed to infiltrate the upper restricted levels of the historic landmark. The couple climbed onto the skyscraper’s fourteen-hundred-and-fifty-four-foot antenna to stage an elaborate stunt for Instagram, culminating in an engagement that quickly shifted from a romantic spectacle to a major law enforcement intervention.
The high-stakes performance drew immediate attention from the streets below, grinding local foot traffic to a halt as onlookers gathered to watch the unfolding events. Carrying a massive banner and documenting their vertical journey with point-of-view footage, the couple spent approximately thirty minutes lingering near the absolute peak of the architectural icon. However, their high-altitude celebration was cut short as the New York City Police Department’s Emergency Services Unit moved in to intercept them, transforming a viral social media moment into a series of severe criminal charges.
Breach of Security and the Spire Ascent
The incident began around noon on Wednesday when the couple, who reside in East Orange, New Jersey, managed to bypass multiple layers of security designed to protect the upper reaches of the tower. While it remains unclear whether the duo initially purchased standard tickets to access the building’s official observation decks, law enforcement sources confirmed they intentionally breached restricted territory. The pair allegedly forced their way past a recently installed mesh gate located on the 102nd floor, which serves as the highest publicly accessible level of the landmark.
After breaching the perimeter on the 102nd floor, Nikolau and Kuznetsov accessed the 103rd floor, an area strictly reserved for building maintenance and operations. From this staging point, they exited the enclosed structure and began scaling the exterior of the towering antenna spire. Dressed in dark clothing to mask their movements, they climbed hundreds of feet above the viewing platforms. The mesh gate they bypassed had been specifically integrated into the stairwell following prior trespassing incidents involving individuals attempting to take high-altitude selfies near the dangerous spire network.
A Modified Political Message and a Sky-High Proposal
Upon reaching their precarious vantage point on the antenna, the couple unfurled a large banner to display a message to the city below. The banner read: “when the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace.” The statement utilized by the daredevils is a slightly modified version of a historical quote frequently misattributed to guitar legend Jimi Hendrix, though records indicate it was originally spoken by the nineteenth-century British politician William Gladstone.
The couple remained at the peak for roughly half an hour before beginning their descent back toward the base of the spire. As they reached a lower structural platform, the viewing decks below appeared to have been completely evacuated by security personnel. It was at this moment that Kuznetsov dropped down on one knee to officially propose to Nikolau, who was wearing a black cat mask for the stunt. The moment was captured on camera, and Nikolau later showcased the engagement ring to her followers via her personal Instagram account.
Spectators React on the Streets of Manhattan
The presence of two individuals climbing the exterior of one of the world’s most famous skyscrapers caused immediate confusion and fascination on the streets of Midtown Manhattan. Pedestrians stopped completely, creating crowds that disrupted the normal flow of the sidewalks as thousands of eyes turned toward the sky.
Ahmed Hassan, a forty-six-year-old hot dog vendor who operates his cart near the base of the landmark, noted that the spectacle directly influenced his business for the day. Hassan remarked that he had never witnessed anything quite like it during his time working in the area, stating that passersby were actively purchasing hot dogs simply to use the transaction as an excuse to linger on the sidewalk and watch the climbers.
Other witnesses expressed a mixture of initial alarm and eventual amusement. Jasmine Chen, a twenty-seven-year-old onlooker, recalled her immediate anxiety upon spotting what looked like a tiny black dot moving against the antenna, questioning whether the city was witnessing an act of terrorism or a political protest. Chen stated that after learning through social media updates that it was a marriage proposal, she found the gesture to be incredibly romantic in an over-the-top manner.
Conversely, the performance failed to impress older generations of New Yorkers. Tom Loughran, a fifty-four-year-old witness, questioned the modern necessity of turning intimate life milestones into public performances for digital validation. Loughran contrasted the vertical stunt with his own engagement, which occurred privately in his wife’s parents’ living room twenty-eight years prior without any camera crews or audience, noting that they remain happily married today.
The NYPD Interception and Arrest Charges
The unauthorized ascent triggered an immediate tactical response from the NYPD’s Emergency Services Unit. Shocking bodycam footage released by authorities captured the exact moment officers climbed into the restricted exterior areas to apprehend the couple. In the video, an officer can be heard radioing in that he had visual contact with the trespassers before confronting them directly on the structural platform.
The officer instructed the couple that they were forbidden from being in the area, to which Nikolau calmly responded that she was okay before cooperating with the arrest. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch publicly praised the executing officers on social media, sharing the bodycam footage and commending the specialized work of the Emergency Services Unit.
Upon returning to the ground, the romantic evening was replaced by processing at the local precinct. The couple was taken into custody and faces a sweeping array of criminal liabilities. They were held in custody awaiting formal arraignment late Wednesday evening.
A History of Extreme Roof-Topping
Wednesday’s arrest is far from the first time this specific couple has faced legal peril for scaling global infrastructure. Nikolau and Kuznetsov have built an international reputation within the extreme urban climbing community, frequently posting jaw-dropping, point-of-view footage from their climbs. Nikolau’s social media profiles document numerous illegal ascents of world-renowned structures, including the Bay Bridge in San Francisco and the Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which stands as the second-tallest building in the world.
Their high-risk lifestyle and unconventional relationship were previously highlighted in a 2024 Netflix documentary titled “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” which made its public debut at the Sundance Film Festival that year. Management for the Empire State Building released a statement confirming that the unauthorized incident was resolved smoothly through close coordination with the NYPD, emphasizing that at no point were tenants, daily visitors, or official observation deck guests in physical danger. Officials chose not to comment directly on future security upgrades intended for the 103rd floor maintenance access points.
