Angie Baez, a 40-year-old Knicks fan, became a viral sensation when she was seen taking a Knicks-themed orange-and-blue trash can during the team’s championship parade in Manhattan. Decked in Knicks gear, she dumped the trash on the street in front of onlookers and a camera before carrying the can onto the subway.
Upon returning the can on Wednesday, Baez was fined $175 for littering and disrupting sanitation services. Vincent Gragnani, a spokesperson for New York City’s Department of Sanitation, confirmed the penalties.
Baez, formerly an executive director at JPMorgan Chase focused on community and industry engagement, is no longer employed by the company according to a spokeswoman. Baez did not respond to requests for comment, and her story quickly spread across media outlets highlighting her previous work in diversity programming.
About six of these trash cans were installed along the parade route according to Gragnani, leading fans to joke about potential theft due to high demand for Knicks merchandise. The department unwittingly became part of an inside joke shared among fans.
Upon the trash can’s return, the sanitation department posted on social media, celebrating its return with a message, “Welcome Back!” The post received over 25,000 likes.
Smaller replicas of the trash cans have become available for purchase at $168 for the full-size and $58 for the mini version. Meaghan Chillianis of OnlyNY stated the company partnered with the city’s sanitation department to celebrate New York’s victorious season and recognize sanitation workers’ contributions.
According to Chillianis, the trash cans were not created in reaction to the incident involving Baez but aimed to honor city workers. She expressed concern that the community spirit is being overshadowed by Baez’s actions. The New York Police Department is not investigating the event further.