Arrested NYC "Mole People" Say They Were Hunting for Gold in the Sewers

Six people climbed out of a manhole in Queens on September 24, and two of them left in handcuffs. Samuel Reveron Ascanio reportedly told police the group was searching storm drains and sewers for gold and valuables. His exact words:“We go into the sewer and look for valuables that get stuck in the storm drains and sewers, gold, anything of value.”The story instantly went viral because the manhole was near the hotel where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was staying for the UN assembly. Police confirmed the arrest was unrelated to his visit.

The man who says he was hunting for gold, Ascanio, is a Venezuelan migrant who already had a federal warrant for a prior criminal mischief charge. He’s now in ICE custody and likely facing deportation. Kevin Rodriguez and the four other individuals who emerged from the manhole are also part of the ongoing investigation. The whole thing has revived the classic“mole people”urban legend, the long-running myth about a hidden civilization living beneath New York City. Turns out some people really are down there, just maybe not for the reasons the legend suggests.

So was this a genuine sewer gold rush or an elaborate cover story? Honestly, it depends on who you ask. The NYPD says the timing near Netanyahu’s hotel was pure coincidence. The internet is not so convinced. What do you think, would you ever go treasure hunting in a storm drain? Sound off in the comments.