Who is 'Steve From Virginia?' Trump Tower Climber Identified

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — The young man who climbed the Trump Tower Wednesday is 19-year-old Michael Joseph Ryan of Great Falls, Virginia, authorities told the New York Daily News.

An area resident told Patch Thursday that Ryan is a former Langley High School student; the school is located in McLean.

The New York Daily News also reports Ryan changed his name to Stephen Rogata before making the climb.

Ryan, who climbed the side of the 58-story building using giant suction cups, was reportedly attempting to deliver a message to GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Ryan was charged with first-degree reckless endangerment and third-degree criminal trespassing. The first-degree reckless endangerment charge is a felony and carries up to seven years in prison. The third-degree criminal trespass charge is a misdemeanor and carries just 90 days in jail maximum.

The shaggy young man in rock-climbing gear and a baseball cap sent New York City into throes of horror and delight on a muggy summer Wednesday by attempting to climb Trump Tower at 725 Fifth Ave., the premiere NYC property of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, using a set of five giant suction cups.

The climb lasted nearly two and a half hours and brought rush-hour traffic to a standstill in Midtown.

Mark Osborne, Patch staff, contributed to this report.