A JPMorgan executive dumped a trash can onto a New York sidewalk to steal it, but it cost her job after her employer saw the viral video

A JPMorgan executive has lost her job after a video of her appearing to dump a trash can onto a Manhattan sidewalk and walk off with it during the New York Knicks championship parade went viral. The incident, detailed by Bored Panda, has divided social media over whether the firing was justified.

Footage shows Angie Báez, 40, dressed in a Knicks outfit, emptying a limited-edition blue-and-orange trash can onto the street before carrying it away. A separate video later showed her riding the subway with the bin. Báez has not publicly commented on the incident, and could not be reached for comment. The parade was celebrating the Knicks’ first NBA championship since 1973, their win over the San Antonio Spurs ending a 50-year drought.

According to her LinkedIn page, Báez had been promoted to Executive Director of Community and Industry Engagement for Card and Connected Commerce at JPMorgan Chase more than a year before the incident. The NYPD confirmed that she had not been charged with a crime. Under New York City law, theft of property valued under $1,000 is petit larceny, a Class A misdemeanor, typically resulting in a fine or community service for first-time offenders.

JPMorgan didn’t wait for charges

JPMorgan Chase did not wait for police to act. After the video began circulating on social media, the bank investigated and terminated her. “This employee is no longer with the company,” a spokesperson stated. It is not the first time someone has been identified online and lost their job after a video went viral. The New York City Department of Sanitation also weighed in, calling her actions illegal and “antisocial behaviors” that do not represent “what New Yorkers do.”

They added, “On top of all that, doing both on camera is incredibly stupid.” Before joining JPMorgan, Báez had built a career focused on diversity and inclusion. She served as Executive Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at The Infatuation, where her bio described her dedication to making a positive impact and called her one of the “brightest voices” in food media.

She had also held DEI leadership roles at Squarespace, Saks Fifth Avenue, Hudson’s Bay, and Saks Off 5th, and reportedly co-founded Same Page Co., a queer and Black talent agency focused on increasing representation in media. The bank’s decision to fire her split opinion online. One X user wrote, “I understand that theft is a crime, but why should she lose her job over that?” arguing the behavior was “cringe” but not a fireable offense.

Others pushed back. “When you operate at that high of a level within an organization, your actions reflect on that organization’s values, whether you want them to or not,” one person wrote. The incident occurred during a parade already marked by serious disorder. The NYPD recorded 63 arrests over the celebrations. Videos circulated of fans setting school buses on fire, jumping on taxis, and destroying cars.

A 17-year-old was rushed to hospital in an NYPD vehicle after suffering a firearm wound to the foot, with an ambulance unable to reach the scene due to crowd congestion. Knicks owner James Dolan had even interrupted a press conference to urge fans to stay safe. “Please be safe. Don’t get hurt, don’t hurt anybody,” he said.