The Daredevil Lovers Who Scaled The Empire State Building Are From NJ

The two daredevils who climbed the Empire State Building's antenna on Wednesday afternoon to unfurl a banner about the power of love and then got engaged mid-air have been identified as a New Jersey-based couple, according to the NYPD.

The couple, Ivan Kuznetsov and Angelina Nikolau, both hail from East Orange, New York City Police Department officials said.

According to the NYPD, the man and woman were spotted around noon on Wednesday scaling the antenna of the tower at 20 West 34th St. in Midtown Manhattan.

The Empire State Building, including the antenna, is more than 1,453 feet tall.

Pictures from CBS News show two masked people dressed in all black at the tip of the building, waving a black flag with white lettering on it. The flag says, "When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace" in a blocky font, according to the CBS photos.

According to ABC News, the masked man was seen proposing to his partner in crime after hanging the flag.

Both daredevils were arrested and charged with burglary, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, violation of local law, possession of burglar’s tools, criminal tampering, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct, the NYPD said.

This is not the first time Kuznetsov and Nikolau have been documented climbing buildings. They were also the subjects of a 2024 Netflix documentary called "Skywalkers: A Love Story", where they climb the world's tallest buildings.

For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.

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