Daredevil couple face multiple charges after Empire State Building proposal stunt

Neena Mae Rayos, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
July 3, 2026

(Photo Courtesy: Angela Nikolau | Instagram)

NEW YORK – A couple known for high-risk climbing appeared in Manhattan court Thursday, facing multiple criminal charges after illegally scaling the Empire State Building to stage a marriage proposal.

Angela Nikolau, 33, and Ivan Kuznetsov, 32, also known as Ivan Beerkus, were arraigned on charges including burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, criminal trespass, criminal tampering, disorderly conduct, and possession of burglar’s tools.

The pair was arrested Wednesday afternoon by the New York Police Department’s elite emergency service unit after spending several hours at the 1,454-foot summit.

The incident unfolded when the duo, dressed entirely in black, reached the building’s peak and unfurled a large black banner reading, “When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace,” before sharing a kiss.

Their actions were monitored by NYPD drones and helicopters prior to their arrest.

According to the owners of the Empire State Building released a statement saying, “There was at no time danger to tenants, visitors, and Empire State Building Observation Deck guests. It is to be emphasized that the Empire State Building Observation Deck, atop the World’s Most Famous Building in the center of New York City, does offer a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals.”

Investigators are currently examining how the pair managed to bypass security and scale the final sections of the landmark.

The couple spent their first night in separate cells near the criminal court in lower Manhattan, where they are expected to face further legal proceedings.