CHICAGO — A third man has been charged with causing an estimated $700,000 in damage to two elevators at Trump Tower over the weekend, allegedly after a bartender refused to keep serving them drinks.
The men are accused of turning on a stairwell fire hose valve after being turned away from the 16th floor bar, sending 250 gallons a minute down the stairs and ultimately into two elevator shafts.
Two suburban men, Carl Koenemann and Benjamin Nitch, both 25, appeared in court Tuesday and were ordered released on electronic monitoring.
On Wednesday, a third — Daniel T. Maradei of Hanover Park — was charged with one count of felony criminal damage to property, police said.
Police said Maradei went with Koenemann and Nitch into a stairwell about 6:10 p.m. Saturday and turned on the water valve.
Nitch allegedly told police he fell on the valve because he was drunk and may have pulled it in anger, prosecutors said in court Tuesday.
The open valve, which is meant for fire protection, caused "black and musty smelling" water to gush out, flooding the elevator shafts and damaging the building's marble floors.
Maradei was ordered held in lieu of $100,000 bail Wednesday.
Contributing: Erin Meyer
