Police say not to worry about it. But it has people talking.
A senior law enforcement official says investigators' leading theory is that the group is scouring underground for valuables that make their way into the sewage system.
An odd mystery is unfolding in Brooklyn as the NYPD investigates two instances where groups of men were spotted climbing out of manholes. Charles Watson has the story. They climbed down like the Ninja Turtles, but a trio caught on video better resembles the Mario Bros. New video shows a group wearing hip waiters and carrying flash lights as they pry open a manhole cover on May 5th just before 2 a.m. in Astoria.
"I was looking at them, they were looking at me, you know, I could tell they were up to no good," said witness Aki Jakupovic. "They went in there, closed the cover, like, you know, they were never here. "Jakupovic said there were two cars that had pulled up seemingly randomly for the group, perhaps providing some extra light. Someone he was with at the time then called 911.
"Three random guys walking around in a strange suit. Open the sewer, go in like the Ninja Turtles," Jakupovic told NBC New York.on May 28 after eight people were seen going through a manhole in the middle of the night in Williamsburg. A second incident was reported to police an hour later in Gravesend, the NYPD said.
"That's when we actually released a video and we saw, you know, it was going on in multiple areas," said Jakupovic. From Manhattan to Queens to Brooklyn to Staten Island and all points between, NBC New York covers New York City news, weather, traffic and more. A senior law enforcement official said it’s possible the group scavenges for valuables in the sewer — a theory based on similar incidents stemming back to 2024.
Underneath NYC streets, there is a sprawling network of more than 7,500 miles of sewer lines. But that doesn't make it safe.
"It's dangerous. It's the same as jaywalking, walking down the middle of a highway," said retired NYPD Captain John Monaghan.
"They could be electrocuted, they could be overcome – there's gas lines down here, there's electrical lines down here. " The city's Department of Environmental Protection said crews inspected the sewer system and found no damage. The DEP also stressed that entering the sewer is illegal and extremely dangerous.
The NYPD shared updated information on the case Monday, saying an Emergency Service Unit team, along with environmental officials, had investigated the sewer system and determined there is no threat to the public, criminally or water-wise. According to police, the first report came in late Thursday night, around 11 p.m. Someone called authorities to report seeing a group of people remove a manhole cover near McDonald Avenue and Colin Place and drop in.
In the midst of that, a call came in around 1 a.m. Friday regarding people uncovering and entering a manhole 10 miles away, near Heyward Street and Bedford Avenue. The group crawled out more than two-and-a-half hours later, got into a vehicle and sped off, police say.
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