In the midst of reporting on the escalating crime rates in the Bay Area, a CNN crew has experienced a disturbing pattern of burglaries, with the latest incident marking the third time they fell victim to theft.
CNN correspondent Kyung Lah took to Twitter on Wednesday to share a video of her crew’s rental car with a shattered window.
She recounted the harrowing experience, stating, “I’m #Oakland, shooting a story about crime. Got broken into again— but this time our car was completely empty. We were across the street— this happened in seconds.” Lah added that the thieves broke into the empty car, even going so far as to lower the seat to search for items in the trunk, which was also empty. Thankfully, nothing was stolen on this occasion.
Disturbingly, this incident marks the third time in the last year that the CNN rented car has been broken into in the Bay Area.
To avoid further losses, Lah revealed that she has learned not to leave anything in the car, not even a candy bar.
Rental car employees informed her that out of the 250 cars returned on Tuesday, more than 10% had been broken into.
This is not the first time the CNN crew has faced such adversity while covering crime in the Bay Area.
In March, they were robbed while at city hall in San Francisco, and thieves managed to steal belongings from their rental car in less than four seconds.
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The crime situation in the area has become so dire that Lah’s crew even witnessed a brazen theft at a Walgreens store in San Francisco.
While reporting on the incident, Lah highlighted that they had observed three individuals stealing items in just 30 minutes.
In fact, San Francisco has lost at least five Walgreens stores due to “organized retail crime,” according to a report.
The company stated that they are actively working with law enforcement and officials to combat the issue and ensure the safety of their customers and staff.
The rise in crime rates in San Francisco has been alarming, making it a hot spot for robberies and assaults.
In response to the escalating situation, residents took matters into their own hands, leading to the historic recall election in 2022, which resulted in the ousting of the city’s progressive district attorney, Chesa Boudin, with over 55% of residents voting him out.
As the CNN crew continues to cover the crime situation in the Bay Area, their experiences serve as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by both residents and journalists in the region.
Such incidents highlight the pressing need for effective measures to address the rampant criminal activities and protect the safety of the community.
