Teenager Sneaks Past World Trade Center Security For Acrobatic Poses At Top Of Unauthorized Section
BySixteen year-old Justin Casquejo, of Weehawken, N.J was called "ballsy" by Brooklyn Magazine, a "violator" by police, and a "long way from home" by his Twitter account after he slipped security and climbed to the top of the World Trade Center late Saturday night/early Sunday morning, USA Today reported.
Casquejo was tres stealth on his way to the top -- an unauthorized area for visitors. He began at around 4:00 am on Sunday by crawling through a hole in the outside fence, then climbed up scaffolding for access inside the building. At that point, he rode the elevator to the 88th floor (caught by security cameras), according to Brooklyn Magazine. From there, details are a bit hazy. Either he took the elevator or the steps to the top level -- the 104th floor -- where he would have been stopped by the security guard if the guard hadn't been sleeping (he's since been fired).
The fearless teenager spent hours at the top, taking pictures of him in precarious positions. In one, he's balancing on a guard rail.
Apparently, Casquejo has done similar jobs before, based on another photo of him hanging by a pole connecting two tall buildings. His activities are almost a new extreme sport, a higher but less intense version of using playgrounds and ordinary structures as scenes of acrobatic displays.
For his next job, Casquejo might want to consider an escape plan. He was caught inside the building. His camera and phone were seized -- but not before he uploaded evidence of his escapades.
"We take security and these type of infractions extremely seriously and will prosecute violators," Joseph Dunne, chief security officer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, said in a statement. "We continue to reassess our security posture at the site and are constantly working to make this site as secure as possible."