- New York City celebrated the Knicks' first NBA championship in 53 years with a massive parade on June 18, 2026.
- Angie Báez was filmed dumping a Knicks-themed trash can onto the street and later took it home.
- After the incident went viral, JPMorgan Chase fired Báez the same day she was publicly identified.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK — Less than three weeks after a Syracuse father was sentenced to 40 years in prison for killing his young son and girlfriend with a shotgun, New York is making headlines again. This time, the story started at a championship parade and ended with one of the most talked-about corporate firings of the year.
A woman was caught on video emptying a Knicks-themed trash can onto a Manhattan sidewalk during the city's historic NBA championship celebration — and then casually walking off with it. When the internet figured out who she was, her career did not survive the day.
New York's Best Day in 53 Years
On June 18, 2026, New York City threw the biggest parade it had seen in decades. The Knicks had just won the NBA championship — their first title in 53 years — after beating the San Antonio Spurs in five games. An estimated 2 million fans flooded lower Manhattan to watch the team travel up Broadway through the Canyon of Heroes to City Hall, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani gave the players keys to the city.
To mark the occasion, the city placed special limited-edition blue-and-orange trash cans along the parade route, designed to match the Knicks' team colors. For most people, they were a fun piece of the celebration. For one woman, they were a souvenir.
Dump It. Take It. Walk Away.
Footage that surfaced online over the weekend showed Angie Báez, 40, dressed head to toe in Knicks gear, walking straight up to one of the decorative trash cans on a Manhattan sidewalk. She tipped it over and dumped everything inside it out onto the street. Then she picked up the empty bin and walked away with it.
A separate clip that spread just as fast showed her shortly after — sitting on the subway, the stolen trash can right beside her, as if she had simply been out shopping.
The videos racked up over 5 million views across social media. The comments section did not go easy on her.
The Internet Found Her Fast
Within days, users online had done what they do best. Báez was tracked down through her public professional profiles and identified as an Executive Director at JPMorgan Chase. Her full title was Executive Director of Community and Industry Engagement for Card and Connected Commerce. She had been promoted to the role more than a year ago, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Before that, she had worked as the Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at The Infatuation — a popular New York-based restaurant review and media website that JPMorgan Chase had acquired. When Chase bought the company, Báez came with it and eventually moved up into her director-level position at the bank.
Her LinkedIn profile has since been restricted and is no longer publicly viewable.
Fired the Same Day She Was Named
Sources told the New York Post that JPMorgan Chase looked into the videos after they started spreading online. The bank did not take long to decide what to do next.
"This employee is no longer with the company," a JPMorgan Chase spokesperson confirmed to the Post on June 23 — the same day the public identified her.
Sources also noted that Báez attended the parade in her personal capacity and was not there as a representative of JPMorgan Chase.
Báez could not be reached for comment.
A Career Built Around Doing Better
What made the story spread even faster was what Báez did for a living.
She had spent her entire career centered on inclusion, representation, and making an impact. An online biography at The Infatuation once described her as someone "whose dedication to making a positive impact shines through in every aspect of her work." It called her one of the company's "brightest voices" and praised her role in pushing the food media industry toward becoming "more equitable and relatable." That biography has since been quietly removed from the website.
Before The Infatuation, Báez worked as a Diversity and Inclusion Program Lead at Squarespace and held similar roles at Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks Off 5th, and Hudson's Bay. She also co-founded Same Page Co., a queer and BIPOC-owned talent agency focused on representation and equity in media.
Same Page Co. did not respond to requests for comment.
What Could Still Happen Legally
As of June 20, the NYPD told the Post it had received no complaints about the incident. Báez has not been charged with any crime.
That said, it is not without legal risk. Under New York City law, stealing property worth less than $1,000 is considered petit larceny — a Class A misdemeanor. For a first-time offender, that usually means a fine, a summons, or community service. The littering that came with the theft could bring additional penalties on top.
The New York City Department of Sanitation did not hold back.
"Dumping trash onto the street and stealing public property for your own personal use are both illegal, antisocial behaviors, and not what New Yorkers do," the department said in a statement. "On top of all that, doing both on camera is incredibly stupid."
For now, Báez has lost her job at one of the biggest financial institutions in the world. She walked into the Knicks parade as a high-powered executive. She walked out of it carrying a trash can — and carrying a viral moment that ended her career before the week was over.
To view more cases of scandals and viral moments caught on camera, check out our video here:
