ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Someone stole a television news station’s SUV in Downtown Albuquerque while the crew was gathering footage for a story about crime in the area.
Michelle Donaldson, KOB news director, said the crew watched as the vehicle was stolen near First and Central.
The crew was in the area reporting on recent concerns about crime and safety by the local business Lavu when they became part of the story.
“I have a rule, that you can never be the lead of your own newscast,” Donaldson said. “So this violates that rule.”
KOB recovered the vehicle within a half hour without police assistance by following the GPS tracking device that was on board, she said.
“We went to that location and recovered our own stolen vehicle,” Donaldson said.
She said the thief was no longer with the SUV and it had already been damaged. The SUV was locked and the keys were not left inside. Donaldson said she is not sure how the thief started the SUV.
“I’m relieved that our people are OK and I’m relieved that we’ve recovered our property, but I’m very angry that somebody can walk up to a parked, locked, vehicle in front of you in this city and drive it away,” she said. “It’s a helpless feeling to know you can’t do anything about it.
More (but no video):
https://www.abqjournal.com/1022857/tv-news-truck-stolen-while-reporting-on-downtown-albuquerque-crime.htmlThought about slapping this in
Ridiculous News, but it's worth keeping separate.