Two days before a 17-year-old boy fell to his death while investigating the long-vacant Plaza Tower high rise in New Orleans, Kenner police arrested a Massachusetts YouTuber for allegedly entering the similarly abandoned Esplanade Mall and recording a video that was posted online.
Stephen Pamaran, 33, was charged with felony unauthorized entrance into a business and misdemeanor unlawful publishing of criminal behavior for notoriety or exposure, according to Kenner Police Chief Keith Conley.
Investigators have acquired a warrant for a second YouTuber, RangerRickTV, who reportedly joined Pamaran and released the footage to his channel in September 2025, according to Kenner Police Deputy Chief Mark McCormick. According to McCormick, police have yet to locate him. “The Constitution is not à la carte,” Pamaran’s attorney, Barry Ranshi, said in a statement issued Sunday. “The same Constitution that safeguards our core liberties guarantees everyone the access to counsel and due process. We respect the judiciary, the rule of law, and the legal system.”
According to their YouTube channels, Pamaran and RangerRickTV engage in urban exploration, often known as ‘urbex,’ which involves infiltrating and filming abandoned buildings, structures, or facilities such as military posts, churches, or amusement parks.
According to New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick, an anonymous Belle Chasse youngster died early Saturday morning after falling from inside stairs without railings while doing “a little urban exploring” with pals. ” It is unfortunate that this occurred,” Conley said Sunday. “Our biggest concern is that somebody would get hurt doing these explorations, which are encouraged by social media influencers.”
Illegal live streaming
According to McCormick, Kenner police received a tip in June about RangerRickTV’s video of his visit to the Esplanade Mall.
In the video, which runs around 1 hour and 13 minutes and has 317,000 views as of Sunday, RangerRickTV refers to the building as his “childhood mall” as he navigates through the empty storefronts and tries to avoid being spotted by occupants of the open Target store next door.
McCormick said detectives worked to identify the two guys and get arrest warrants. According to investigators, Pamaran, also known as “Steve Ronin” on YouTube and having over 1 million subscribers, turned himself in to police on Thursday.
He was arrested under a Louisiana law, revised in 2024 by state Rep. Dixon McMakin, R-Baton Rouge, that makes it illegal to livestream or broadcast video of oneself conducting criminal actions.
McMakin proposed the amendment in response to viral videos of customers throwing milk bottles on the ground to gain online attention. We don’t want people trying to get famous by becoming criminals,” said McMakin, who believes one of the first applications of the modified law was the arrest of four people who recorded videos of themselves riding horses into a Baker Walmart.
High-risk trend
Kenner police allege that RangerRickTV and Pamaran illegally entered the Esplanade Mall, as shown on camera. You cannot break into a business. “That’s burglary,” McCormick explained.
RangerRickTV is not the first person to video a visit to Esplanade Mall. Urban explorers have recorded video from many derelict structures in the New Orleans area, including Charity Hospital and the abandoned Six Flags New Orleans East. Urban exploration is a bit of a trend…but it’s fatal. “It’s high risk,” Kirkpatrick said Saturday during a news conference about the Belle Chasse teen’s death.
In 2023, an anonymous guy died after falling from the Plaza Tower. And in 2022, 18-year-old Anthony Clawson perished after falling five stories within the abandoned Market Street Power Plant in the Lower Garden District.
New Orleans Deputy Mayor Michael Harrison cautioned against encouraging such excursions. No one, child or adult, should enter boarded-up, abandoned buildings, especially if they are secure,” he warned.
Conley described Esplanade Mall as the most blighted area in Kenner. The roof is crumbling in some areas, there’s a four-foot sinkhole outside, and at least one guy was arrested for reportedly stripping hundreds of feet of copper from the structure, according to investigators.” “It’s an appealing nuisance,” Conley explained. “My concern is that, if it’s not abated, then you will have somebody who gets hurt or injured.”
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