The New Jersey teenager who snuck past inattentive security to climb to the top of 1 World Trade Center earlier this year has been sentenced to 23 days of community service.
In March, 16-year-old Justin Casquejo sparked a major security overhaul at the nation's tallest skyscraper, after he climbed through a hole in a fence surrounding the supposedly impenetrable site, rode an elevator, walked past a dozing security guard and climbed scaffolding and stairs to get to the building's spire. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in July, and was let off without jail time. He has already completed his sentence, and has attended two youth counseling sessions.
"The court is impressed by your sincerity, remorsefulness and willingness to accept responsibility for your conduct,” Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Felicia Mennin told him yesterday, after he turned in a voluntary reflection essay. He's also apologized on Twitter:
I seriously apologize to anyone who may have been insulted or felt disrespected by my actions. It was not my intention to do so.
— Justin (@JustinCasquejo) March 21, 2014
Meanwhile, the partially-blind, napping guard tasked with safeguarding one of the city's newest security targets—the one who told the Post, "Sometimes I cannot recognize people, stairs,"—was fired, and following a few other embarrassing breaches, the head of security for the building resigned.
