A TV journalist reporting on crime in Oakland Monday night became part of the story when she was robbed while on the air.

KTVU's Heather Holmes was doing a live report on a woman who was robbed and beaten until Good Samaritans came to her aid when the theft occurred, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Holmes' purse was inside an unlocked news van parked just steps away from the crew and across the street from police headquarters. But when the camera stopped rolling, Holmes learned that someone had swiped the bag.

R u kidding me? Doing a live report at @oaklandpoliceca headquarters & my purse is stolen from the live truck! We were parked outside #OPD!! — Heather Holmes (@HeatherKTVU) June 17, 2014

Oh the irony of it all...while reporting on violent mugging, my purse is stolen. Thieves used my bank card 20 mins after swiping my bag. — Heather Holmes (@HeatherKTVU) June 17, 2014

Credit cards now canceled. Locks changed. Lesson here... be aware of your surroundings at all times, including at police headquarters. — Heather Holmes (@HeatherKTVU) June 17, 2014

Like any good journalist, Holmes also tried to turn the attention back on the subject of her story: the woman who was beaten and robbed.

"While it's a bummer that my purse was stolen, it doesn't compare to what purse snatcher's did to this woman," Holmes tweeted. "She was beaten about the face & head for her purse in #Temescal. @oaklandpoliceca responds & says it will increase patrols in the area."

Being a crime reporter often means traveling into the less-than-savory parts of town. But Oakland has become especially troublesome for reporters lately. As The New York Times noted last year, every major Bay Area news station has been robbed there. Some have been hit more than once, and one photojournalist lost five cameras.