Tourists Take Trespassing to New Heights on the AT&T "Batman" Building

Nov 26, 2024 at 10:57 am by WGNS News

Photo by Scott Walker / Scroll down for suspect mugshots from Metro PD

 

Nashville, TN – Nothing screams “Welcome to Nashville!” like a casual rooftop adventure atop on of Tennessee’s tallest building—especially when it ends in a locked bathroom stall surrounded by police. Three out-of-state men apparently thought the AT&T Building, known for its iconic "Batman" shape, would make the perfect spot for a Sunday sightseeing session. Spoiler alert: It did not.

Jacob Thomas Cieszynski of Chicago, Chase Cooper Lester of Georgia, and Ryan James McGarrity of California claimed they stumbled across an unsecured door and figured, "Why not?" They climbed the stairs (commitment!) to the rooftop and proceeded to live their best lives—posing next to spires and lounging on corporate logos. Because, clearly, this is how adults sightsee now. Scroll down for mugshots from the MPD.

Unfortunately for them, Nashville residents prefer their skyline unblemished by random dudes. An alert citizen, suspicious of the trio’s Cirque du Soleil antics, called 911 at 4:40 p.m. Officers quickly arrived, binoculars in hand, and spotted the men playing rooftop tourists. Keep in mind, the 33-story building is 617-feet tall. When police arrived at the roof, the group had pulled a vanishing act. Cue a multi-floor search of the building.

The grand finale? Finding all three men crammed into a locked bathroom stall on the 24th floor, playing an impromptu game of hide-and-seek. Let’s just say, when the officer ordered them to show their hands under the stall door at gunpoint, the fun was officially over.

Adding to the drama, officers found burglary tools in Lester’s backpack, including a crowbar and screwdriver—because every sightseeing trip needs hardware, right? Several cameras, including a GoPro, were also confiscated, proving once and for all that these guys wanted clout more than common sense.

The trio now face charges of aggravated trespassing and disorderly conduct, with Lester earning bonus points for his burglary tools. Police are calling this a textbook case of “See Something, Say Something,” while the rest of us call it a textbook case of “Tourists Gone Wild.”

Moral of the story? If you want a rooftop view of Nashville, maybe try a legal route—like, say, a rooftop bar. They have better drinks and fewer police escorts.

DISCLAIMERAll suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The arrest records or information about an arrest that are published or reported on NewsRadio WGNS and www.WGNSradio.com are not an indication of guilt or evidence that an actual crime has been committed.

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