--- description: The 16-year-old from New Jersey was able to gain access to the spire of Manhattan's 1 World Trade Center after slipping past security on the 104th floor. The daring climb raises questions about the security of America's tallest building title: Teenager Brazenly Scales World Trade Center image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3d1ea64e2f4d16ba/69868678810bbbfe86c9098b/ap332732204793.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [U.S.](/section/us/) ## U.S. Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Teen Arrested After Climbing 1 World Trade Center by [Eric Dodds](/author/eric-dodds/) ## Eric Dodds Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 20, 2014 3:31 PM CUT  The lower Manhattan skyline, including the new One World Trade Center building, is shown at sunset as viewed from the water, Friday, Jan. 31, 2014 in New York. New York and New Jersey will host the Seattle Seahawks as they play the Denver Broncos Sunday in the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII football game in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) The lower Manhattan skyline, including the new One World Trade Center building, is shown at sunset as viewed from the water, Friday, Jan. 31, 2014 in New York. New York and New Jersey will host the Seattle Seahawks as they play the Denver Broncos Sunday in the NFL Super Bowl XLVIII football game in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)Ted S. Warren—AP by [Eric Dodds](/author/eric-dodds/) ## Eric Dodds Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 20, 2014 3:31 PM CUT A New Jersey teenager was [able to gain access to the spire](http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20140320/financial-district/teen-climbs-top-of-wtc-after-breaking-through-security-papd-says "undefined") of Manhattan’s 1 World Trade Center recently after slipping past security on the 104th floor. The teenager, 16-year-old Justin Casquejo, was later arrested, charged with trespassing and released. According to court papers,[ he told police](http://abcnews.go.com/US/nj-teen-sneaks-past-security-climbs-world-trade/story?id=22982624 "undefined"): “I was walking around the construction site and figured out how to access the Freedom Tower rooftop.” Police have secured a warrant to search the camera and cellphone he was carrying at the time. A Port Authority Police Department spokesman says a guard who was [reportedly asleep](http://nypost.com/2014/03/20/teen-sneaks-past-sleeping-wtc-guard-reaches-104th-floor/ "undefined") at the time of Casquejo’s climb on Sunday has been fired. The full security measures of 1 WTC are not slated to go into effect until 2015, according to [city documents](http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/downloads/pdf/counterterrorism/wtc%5Fcampus%5Fsecurity%5Fplan%5Ffinal%5Feis%5F2013%5F08%5F14.pdf "undefined"). Law enforcement officials say that Casquejo may have tricked an elevator operator into ferrying the teen up to the 88th floor. Casqeujo then hiked up to the 104th floor, snuck past the sleeping security guard and climbed through a foot-wide hole to reach the top. A Twitter account that purportedly belongs to Casquejo [tweeted one word](https://twitter.com/JustinCasquejo/status/445999192243453953 "undefined") Tuesday: “Inspired.” \[[DNA Info](http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20140320/financial-district/teen-climbs-top-of-wtc-after-breaking-through-security-papd-says "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/31868/world-trade-center-teen-arrested-climbs/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/31868/world-trade-center-teen-arrested-climbs/"},"headline":"Teen Arrested After Climbing 1 World Trade Center","datePublished":"2014-03-20T15:31:51.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T06:52:19.679Z","description":"The 16-year-old from New Jersey was able to gain access to the spire of Manhattan's 1 World Trade Center after slipping past security on the 104th floor. 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