MANHATTAN — The Virginia man who scaled 21 floors up the face of Trump Tower to get Donald Trump's attention Wednesday was arrested and charged with criminal trespassing and reckless endangerment, police said.
Stephen Rogata, 19, used suction cups to climb for three hours up the GOP presidential candidate's eponymous tower at 575 Fifth Ave. until police yanked him inside through an open window Wednesday afternoon, NYPD officials said.
He was taken to Bellevue Hospital for psychological evaluation and hit with the charges, police said.
Rogata, of Great Falls, Va., had not been arraigned as of Thursday morning.
Rogata, who also goes by the alias Michael Joseph Ryan, posted a minute-long video of himself on YouTube claiming he's "an independent researcher seeking a private audience with [Donald Trump] to discuss an important matter."
He didn't elaborate, but said he chose to pursue the stunt as a way of getting Trump's attention.
Rogata, who wore a black Under Armour hoodie with his bangs falling onto his face, concluded the video by urging Americans to vote for Trump.
He then traveled from Virginia to the city and got a hotel room Tuesday night, police said.
Rogata started scaling the tower about 3:40 p.m., almost immediately summoning the NYPD and their emergency services unit, officials said.
#HappeningNow #BreakingNews #NYPD #ESU is on scene @ 725 5th Avenue #trumptower for a male climbing the building pic.twitter.com/BRuU5CiOzT
— NYPD Special Ops (@NYPDSpecialops) August 10, 2016
He climbed for about three hours as emergency workers tried to isolate him by lowering scaffolding to the left of him and opening up a window in his path.
Police finally managed to yank him indoors at the 21st floor, officials said.
"I reached out and I took hold of his hand and said, 'Sir, you have to come with me,'" said NYPD Officer Christopher Williams, one of the rescuers.
Rogata appeared dehydrated and was wheeled to an ambulance on a stretcher, officials said.
The candidate praised the NYPD's efforts on Twitter.
Great job today by the NYPD in protecting the people and saving the climber.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 11, 2016
"This man performed a ridiculous and dangerous stunt," Trump Organization Executive Vice President Michael Cohen told reporters.
"I'm 100 percent certain the NYPD had better things to do," he added
