CNN Senior National Correspondent Kyung Lah and Senior Producer Jason Kravarik fell victim to theft in San Francisco. At the time, they were working on a story about the city’s prevalent street crime.
Lah reported that the incident occurred when they were inside City Hall. Despite being under the watch of security guards, their car was broken into, and the thieves managed to steal items, including Lah’s passport.
The robbery was executed swiftly, with the perpetrators smashing the car’s rear window and fleeing in under four seconds. Security guards hired to protect the CNN team’s rental car and equipment chased the thieves, who escaped in a black Infiniti with California plates. The guards managed to capture an image of the car and its license plate as it sped away.
Lah was initially concerned about her ability to fly back to Los Angeles due to her stolen identification. However, Southwest Airlines informed her that such thefts are not uncommon in San Francisco and issued her a plane ticket following a security check.
Despite spending three days in the picturesque city, Lah warned that cars are not safe on San Francisco streets, even with hired security guards. Fortunately, a few hours after the robbery, Lah received the news that her stolen bag had been recovered. Kravarik’s stolen bag, however, remained missing.
Vehicle break-ins continue to plague the Bay Area, with San Francisco averaging 74 break-ins daily, according to NBC News.