Ginger Zee Slams Claim She's 'Condoning Crime' After Being Robbed

Good Morning America meteorologist Ginger Zee has denied claims that she is "condoning crime" after sharing the news she was robbed.

On Wednesday Zee—real name Ginger Renee Colonomos—revealed her car had been broken into in Oakland, California, in an apparent "smash and grab" crime, resulting in several personal and work items being stolen.

Posting to Instagram, Zee shared a photo of the back seat of her vehicle, which was covered in glass, as she explained her belongings were "not in plain sight." She told her 1.1 million followers that the robbery took place when she and her colleagues were between shoots and had decided to grab something to eat.

"Grateful to be safe, the stuff they stole will be replaced... but it makes me sad for the folks that do this," she wrote in the caption. "Whatever circumstance gets someone to that choice of crime, I hope you know you stole things that are very meaningful to me too— items my kids made me I travel with etc, passport, my glasses - all of which I'm sure is trashed and the tech is being sold."

While Zee was trying to warn people of the risks of crime, some misconstrued her post to mean she was "condoning crime"—which Zee quickly dismissed.

Newsweek emailed a spokesperson for Zee for comment Thursday.

"Ginger Zee condoning crime," one person commented, to which Zee replied: "I am not condoning crime - I no longer have a passport, I don't have items my children gave me for when I travel that can't be replaced - I am livid. I just hate that someone chooses this. I am not condoning crime."

Another Instagram user responded to Zee's comment, writing: "yes u are read your statement they made a choice you felt bad."

Zee showed she wasn't going to put up with these accusations, explaining her stance further in her reply.

"I feel bad all around - yes. Doesn't mean I think it's right..." she wrote.

Different Instagram users took the opportunity to show their support for Zee and offer their condolences.

"Please don't answer these fools. I am sorry this happened to you. It shouldn't happen to anyone but glad it wasn't a crash and that everyone is ok," one person commented.

"She is not condoning crime. I think she is sad and angry that these are the present times. Humanity is out the window for lots of people and that is sad," said another.

Others said something similar had happened to them and fellow journalists also weighed in.

"Happened to me 2 weeks ago," a different Instagram user wrote. "The cleanup is awful. The glass is everywhere. Luckily I parked in a garage right under a camera and they've caught the guy that did mine."

"Same thing happened to us in Oakland in literally 2 minutes of going into In and Out," said another. "Unfortunately we will never stop there again. So sorry, such a pain to get everything together afterward!"

"Oh no. Happened to a good friend at CNN -as they were doing a story- on this very issue. Glad you're all ok," Steve Osunsami, senior national correspondent for ABC News in Atlanta, wrote.

Journalist and former investment banker Rebecca Jarvis added: "I'm so sorry, Ging! The same thing happened to us on a shoot in SF when we went for lunch."

Zee also used her post to provide her followers with a few cautionary reminders.

"IMPORTANT: Something we learned and I want to pass on: they have been targeting rental vehicles & specifically hatchbacks," she wrote. "Our items were not in plain sight, low, covered etc and we were only grabbing food and using the bathroom. 20 min tops.

"Car was parked right across the street from the salad joint we stopped at between shoots. It was a beautiful sunny day, about 2 pm. Lesson learned: bring everything inside with you at all times no matter where you are."