This summer, the fascination surrounding the so-called “mole people” in New York City has captivated many residents. These are individuals who reportedly spend time navigating the city’s extensive sewer system.
This week, New Yorkers received new insights into this phenomenon when two men were apprehended after allegedly emerging from a tunnel in Manhattan. Their arrests have brought attention to numerous incidents where individuals have been seen lifting manhole covers and descending into the underground.
Samuel Reveron and Kevin Rodriguez were arrested in Queens after police identified them through surveillance footage. The two were reportedly seen entering the sewers alongside four unidentified individuals.
Both men face charges of criminal trespassing, but their explanation for their underground excursion has garnered significant interest. According to reports, 25-year-old Reveron told police, “We go into the sewer and look for valuables that get stuck in the storm drains and sewers, gold, anything of value.”
This group’s quest reflects a misperception that New York’s sewers might be filled with treasure. In a similar incident last year, three men were arrested in Brooklyn after being spotted exiting a sewer; one claimed, “The reason we went down there is that people lose their gold down there. We got to get it and sell it to make money.”
Despite the allure of finding riches, evidence suggests that scavenging in the sewers is not a profitable venture. Steve Duncan, an urban explorer with extensive experience in New York’s underground, informed the New York Times that throughout over 100 sewer explorations, the most valuable item he discovered was an expired credit card.
Nonetheless, interest in sewer exploration persists. In May, there were three reported cases of individuals descending into sewers, two of which were captured on video. In one instance, three people dressed in hip wader-style outfits were seen entering a road in Astoria, Queens, lifting a manhole cover, and disappearing into the darkness below.
A witness, Aki Jakupovic, likened the scene to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a fictional team known for their adventures in the sewers, having mutated from ordinary turtles after exposure to toxic waste.
While there has been a noticeable rise in sewer-related incidents this year, this trend is not new. In 2015, a trainee from the New York Department of Environmental Protection was arrested while exploring the sewers, and last year, three men were caught attempting to enter the Brooklyn sewer system in search of gold.
Former New York police commissioner Bill Bratton commented on such incidents, noting, “God knows what they were looking for. I know for damn sure I wouldn’t be crawling through the sewers of New York, but these three were evidently looking for something.”
The recent escapade of Reveron and Rodriguez took place during a period when world leaders were convening at the United Nations, with some staying in nearby upscale hotels, thus raising additional concerns for law enforcement.
Brian Kennedy, Reveron’s attorney, downplayed these worries, stating to NBC News, “It seems like not much of a case. I understand that it is strange that it’s alleged he went [into the sewer]. But there’s no connection to the UN or the appearance of Netanyahu or any other kind of nefarious scheme.”
Rob Wolejsza, a spokesperson for the New York Department of Environmental Protection, highlighted the dangers of such activities, calling them “both illegal and extremely dangerous.” Wolejsza emphasized that sewers can harbor numerous hazards, including toxic gases, unstable surfaces, flooding risks, and confined spaces. As such, he advised that the public should never enter pipes, drains, catch basins, manholes, or outfalls.
Whether individuals will heed these warnings remains uncertain. On the same day that Reveron and Rodriguez were arrested, another trio was spotted emerging from a sewer in Bensonhurst, south Brooklyn, at 4:30 AM. ABC7NY reported that police discovered a shovel in the sewer, but the individuals managed to escape.
