A Chase spokesperson told Moneywise in a statement: “This employee is no longer with the company.”
Báez could not be reached for comment, and her LinkedIn profile appears to have been taken down. The Post reported that she was previously the executive director of diversity, equity and inclusion at the review website the Infatuation, which was acquired by Chase. Earlier in her career, the Post reported, she worked at Squarespace and Saks Fifth Avenue.
Báez was later filmed riding the subway and smiling with the limited-edition trash can. The NYC Sanitation Department posted on Wednesday that the stolen trash can had been returned earlier without identifying who did so.
“Home sweet home!” the NYCDS said on X, with a photo of the Knicks-branded garbage can.
No charges have been filed
The New York City Police Department told the Post that no complaint was filed regarding the incident and Báez has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
The New York Knicks earlier this month clinched their first NBA championship since 1973. The team defeated the San Antonio Spurs in four out of seven games to win the NBA Finals, culminating in a June 18 ticker-tape parade through Lower Manhattan. A staggering two million people were estimated to have attended the parade.
Theft of items valued at less than $1,000 falls under petit larceny in NYC as a class A misdemeanor. Possible penalties in such cases include community service or a fine for first-time offenders.
Knicks-branded trash cans now on sale
Ahead of last week’s NYC Knicks parade, the limited edition Knicks-branded trash cans were unveiled as a partnership between New York-inspired clothing brand Only NY and the New York City Department of Sanitation. The wire mesh trash cans were decked out with the team’s trademark orange-and-blue colors along with the official seal of the DSNY as an ode to sanitation workers.
Knicks fans took to social media with a mix of jokes and warnings that enthusiastic parade goers were likely to take the garbage cans home as historic souvenirs.
“Streets are about to be filled with garbage because all of these are 100% getting stolen,” one posted on X.
Knicks fans seeking a less cumbersome way to dispose of their garbage can still get a smaller replica. An identical home waste-basket went on sale for $168 with the proceeds benefiting NYC. A Knick-branded pen holder is also available.
Joseph Zeballos-Roig is a policy and politics journalist based in Washington D.C with a focus on economics. He is experienced in connecting the significance of events in the capital to the lives of everyday Americans whether its taxes, tariffs, interest rates or federal programs.
