SoHo Hotel Confrontation: Miya Ponsetto, California Woman Who Falsely Accused Black Teen Of Stealing Cellphone, In Custody In New York City
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Miya Ponsetto, the California woman who attacked a Black teenager and falsely accused him of stealing her cellphone at a hotel in SoHo was extradited to New York City Saturday morning.
Ponsetto, 22, has been charged with attempted robbery, grand larceny, acting in a manner injurious to a child and attempted assault.
Police spent 12 days looking for Ponsetto, who was arrested in California after viral video of the confrontation showed her tackling 14-year-old Keyon Harrold Jr. at the Arlo Hotel on Dec. 26.
Ponsetto faced a judge via video conference Friday, agreeing to be extradited back to New York.
She was released from the Ventura County Sheriff's custody Friday night and taken into custody by the NYPD.
Ponsetto is expected to appear in Manhattan criminal court for her arraignment. She has a prior record of public intoxication which happened at two different hotels last year.
Earlier this week, NYPD detectives flew out to speak with her and get a statement. CBS2 has learned they helped coordinate the arrest, but California police carried it out.
Ponsetta argues her actions were not racially charged, saying she was visiting family in New York City and started to feel anxious when she couldn't find her phone to navigate the city.
Before she was taken into custody, Ponsetto spoke exclusively with CBS This Morning's Gayle King, saying she believed the teenager had her phone that she claims was stolen.
"I was approaching the people that had been exiting the hotel," Ponsetto said.
"You seemed to attack this teenager about your phone and then it turned out he didn't even have your phone," King said.
"Alright Gayle, enough," Ponsetto said.
Attorney Ben Crump, representing the family of the teenager assaulted, reacted to Ponsetto's interview on Twitter.
My full statement on Miya Ponsetto, whose act of racism was enabled by the staff of the Arlo Hotel, which threw gasoline on the fire instead of stopping a racist attack on their own guests. pic.twitter.com/Jx9X7OWIo5
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) January 8, 2021
Crump said in part "Miya Ponsetto's outrageous attack on 14-year-old Keyon Harrold, Jr. was enabled by Arlo Hotels owned by Quadrum Hotel."
"I just felt their response was poor," said hotel guest Brancy Chude, who was there at the time.
Chude agrees with Crump.
"There is so much security," Chude said. "So I felt she should have never had the opportunity to lay a hand on this poor kid."
CBS2's Cory James went to the hotel Friday to get their side of the story, but a manager came out saying he could not comment. Later, a spokesperson said they called the police, but more could have been done to deescalate the situation.
Ponsetto's lawyer says her client is "emotionally unwell" and remorseful.
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