Another San Francisco News Crew is Robbed of Their Gear

It has been come all too common for news crews working in the Bay Area.

Cops say that a KTVU news crew was attacked and robbed of camera equipment early Tuesday in Hayward, authorities said.

Reporter Tara Moriarty and camera operator Keith Crook were reporting from World’s Fare Donuts at 20800 Hesperian Boulevard west of Interstate 880. The restaurant is the home of many lottery winners, and the two had been doing live shots earlier in the morning about the Powerball jackpot, which is approaching $500 million.

About 6:45 a.m., they were confronted by two men in masks who assaulted them and robbed them of a live transmission unit — a device attached to a camera for use in live broadcasts — and a microphone, officials said. The men were last seen fleeing east on West A Street on foot, police said.

“A news crew was assaulted and their gear was taken,” officers were told on the radio. “No weapon was seen.”

Crook suffered unspecified injuries and was treated by paramedics.

“They’re fine. That’s the good news,” said KTVU news director Dana Hahn.

The stolen gear was tracked by GPS to San Francisco, but hasn’t been recovered.

The incident was the latest in which robbers have targeted the news media. The heists have prompted many stations to hire security guards to accompany news crews. Many of the guards are former police officers.

Other KTVU news crews have been accosted in Oakland and had their gear stolen.

H/T SFGate.com