KTVU Journalist Heather Holmes became part of the robbery story she was reporting on when she was mugged on air in Oakland, Calif. Monday night.
Holmes was doing a live report on a woman who had been robbed and beaten when the theft occurred. Holmes’ purse was inside an unlocked news van just a few feet away from the crew and across the street from police headquarters. When the camera stopped rolling, Holmes discovered that she had been mugged.
Holmes sent out a series of shocked tweets following the robbery:
R u kidding me? Doing a live report at @oaklandpoliceca headquarters & my purse is stolen from the live truck! We were parked outside #OPD!!
— Heather Holmes (@hholmesktvu) June 17, 2014
Oh the irony of it all…while reporting on violent mugging, my purse is stolen. Thieves used my bank card 20 mins after swiping my bag.
— Heather Holmes (@hholmesktvu) June 17, 2014
Credit cards now canceled. Locks changed. Lesson here… be aware of your surroundings at all times, including at police headquarters.
— Heather Holmes (@hholmesktvu) June 17, 2014
Like any good journalist would, Holmes turned the attention back to the woman who was attacked and robbed:
While it’s a bummer that my purse was stolen, it doesn’t compare to what purse snatcher’s did to this woman. http://t.co/cdAGWPnnep
— Heather Holmes (@hholmesktvu) June 17, 2014
Being a crime reporter often means traveling into seedy parts of town. Oakland has become noticeably more troublesome for reporters lately. In one incident, a cameraman was punched in the face, then robbed of his camera on air.
SOURCE: HuffingtonPost | VIDEO SOURCE: YouTube