CHICAGO (CBS) – A third suspect has been charged with causing a flood in a stairwell of the Trump Tower on Saturday, causing $700,000 in damage, after a bartender at the swanky hotel bar refused to serve the intoxicated men any more drinks.
Daniel Maradei, of Hanover Park, was arrested and charged with one felony count of criminal damage to property, according to Chicago Police.
Maradei was identified as the third person who entered a stairwell at the Trump International Hotel & Tower around 6:10 p.m. on Saturday, and turned on a water valve.
Two other men — Carl Koenemann of Des Plaines and Benjamin Nitch of Barrington, both 25 years old — were in court Tuesday, also charged with criminal damage to property for the incident.
Prosecutors said it began as a drunken attempt by the men to get another drink inside the hotel bar Saturday evening. It ended with a call to 911 as hundreds of gallons flowed into the hotel.
The three men allegedly turned on a water valve after a bartender refused to serve them any more drinks.
Marble floors at the hotel were damaged by the flood of water. The open water valve also forced the hotel to shut down the elevators to the hotel parking deck.
Sources said Koenemann and Nitch were arrested after security cameras caught them leaving the stairwell. Police tracked them down by a credit card they’d used at the bar. After their arrest, prosecutors said the pair initially blamed each other, until Nitch ultimately admitted he was the one who turned on the valve.
Bond for the Koenemann and Nitch was set at $100,000. If released on bail, they will be placed on electronic monitoring.
