Knicks Fan in Viral Trash Can Incident No Longer with JPMorgan Chase

The New York Knicks recently celebrated their first championship in over 50 years, drawing attention with more than just their victory. A video of Angie Baez, a fan taking an orange-and-blue trash can during the parade, made waves online.

In the video, Baez, dressed in Knicks gear, tossed the contents of the trash can onto the street before taking it with her on the subway, smiling throughout. Her actions caught the attention of onlookers and someone recording the event.

Angie Baez, 40, returned the trash can on Wednesday morning, stated Vincent Gragnani, spokesman for the New York City Department of Sanitation. Baez was fined $175 for littering and obstructing sanitation operations.

More significantly, Ms. Baez, who formerly served as executive director for community and industry engagement at JPMorgan Chase, is no longer employed by the company, as confirmed by a spokeswoman.

By Wednesday, Baez’s story had spread through tabloids and conservative media, focusing on her role in diversity programming, and attracted negative reactions on social platforms.

The sanitation department had positioned about six Knicks-themed trash cans along the parade route, stated Mr. Gragnani. Fans speculated online about their potential theft, given the rapid sale of official merchandise. The department was not aware of any other stolen Knicks trash cans, added Mr. Gragnani.

The department later shared a social media post with a photo of the returned trash can, featuring the messages Welcome Back! and We Missed You!, which garnered over 25,000 likes.

Vincent Gragnani noted that smaller versions of these trash cans are sold for $168.

Meaghan Chillianis, COO of OnlyNY, revealed that their company collaborated with the sanitation department to sell both full-size and miniature versions (mini $58) to celebrate the championship in a meaningful way.

Chillianis emphasized that the cans were not a response to Baez’s viral incident but part of a project to honor sanitation workers’ contributions to the city’s major events and daily life.

It’s unfortunate the community of local pride is being overshadowed by one person’s actions, the statement concluded.

The New York Police Department stated that they would not be investigating the incident.