19-year-old Stephen Rogata is now facing criminal charges after he climbed the Trump Tower in New York City using suction cups. The Virginia teenager allegedly waited until his parents were away to travel to NYC to scale the tower. Rogata had several items fall from his backpack during the climb, including a laptop. Rogata was pulled in by New York City Police at the 21st Floor and taken into custody. He was held on $10,000 bail for misdemeanor charges including trespassing and reckless endangerment. Rogata is now in custody at a Manhattan mental hospital. Authorities believe that he climbed the tower to gain publicity in the hopes that he might meet Donald Trump.
The judge presiding over the climber’s case decided to set bail below the requested amount by the prosecuting attorney. The prosecutor had asked bail to be set at $20,000 citing the danger presented to pedestrians and rescue workers. A judge has the right to review the information of the case and set a reasonable bail based on the circumstances. All parties have the right to have a bail hearing and argue for an increase or reduction depending on the circumstances.