The woman shown on viral video attacking the then-14-year-old son of a Grammy Award-winning trumpeter has been indicted on hate crime and other charges. Miya Ponsetto appeared in a Manhattan court via videoconference on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to charges including the hate crime of unlawful imprisonment, aggravated harassment, and endangering a child, CBS News reported. "The charges alleged are a brazen and clear overreach of the intent of the statute," Ponsetto’s attorney Paul D'Emilia, said in a statement CBS News obtained. "In sum, they are absurd, and a perversion of our legal system."
The real perversion to our legal system is that someone with a criminal history who was shown attacking a child on video could be allowed supervised release, which Ponsetto was granted earlier this year. She accused Keyon Harrold Jr. of stealing her phone on Dec. 26, 2020 at the Arlo SoHo hotel in New York. “I hate I have to post this!!! I am furious!!!” Keyon Harrold, the teen’s father, said in an Instagram post at the time. “We see this crap happening all the time, but it hits different when it hits home!!!”
Although she offered no proof that the teen had her phone, video of the incident showed a hotel worker allowing Ponsetto to make demands of Harrold’s son. “No he’s not leaving,” she was shown saying in video. “Show me the proof.”
The child’s father responded: “Are you kidding me? You better get on.” He earlier suggested Ponsetto use the cellphone feature “find my iPhone” and told her to “get a life.” She, instead, chose to continue pressuring the father and son. “No, I’m not letting him walk away with my phone,” she said in the video.
The teen’s family has filed a lawsuit against Ponsetto and the hotel accusing them of racial profiling, CBS News reported.
As it turned out, Ponsetto, of California, has quite the rap sheet, which was confirmed to Daily Kos by a spokeswoman with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance’s office. She was charged with public intoxication when she, her mother, and a third person were “involved in a physical altercation inside a hotel” on Feb. 28, 2020, spokeswoman Naomi Puzzello said in an email. Ponsetto was charged with driving under the influence when a witness saw her drive away from a supermarket “clearly intoxicated” and responding officers spotted open containers of alcohol and marijuana in her car on May 29. “She was also charged with driving with a suspended license,” Puzzello said. Ponsetto also faced charges of resisting arrest, driving under the influence, and driving with a suspended license on Oct. 10 when police responding to a 911 call arrived to find her in “a physical altercation with her mother.”
Ponsetto’s next court date related to the viral incident is set for Oct. 20, CBS News reported.
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The real perversion to our legal system is that someone with a criminal history who was shown attacking a child on video could be allowed supervised release, which Ponsetto was granted earlier this year. She accused Keyon Harrold Jr. of stealing her phone on Dec. 26, 2020 at the Arlo SoHo hotel in New York. “I hate I have to post this!!! I am furious!!!” Keyon Harrold, the teen’s father, said in an Instagram post at the time. “We see this crap happening all the time, but it hits different when it hits home!!!”
Although she offered no proof that the teen had her phone, video of the incident showed a hotel worker allowing Ponsetto to make demands of Harrold’s son. “No he’s not leaving,” she was shown saying in video. “Show me the proof.”
The child’s father responded: “Are you kidding me? You better get on.” He earlier suggested Ponsetto use the cellphone feature “find my iPhone” and told her to “get a life.” She, instead, chose to continue pressuring the father and son. “No, I’m not letting him walk away with my phone,” she said in the video.
The teen’s family has filed a lawsuit against Ponsetto and the hotel accusing them of racial profiling, CBS News reported.
As it turned out, Ponsetto, of California, has quite the rap sheet, which was confirmed to Daily Kos by a spokeswoman with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance’s office. She was charged with public intoxication when she, her mother, and a third person were “involved in a physical altercation inside a hotel” on Feb. 28, 2020, spokeswoman Naomi Puzzello said in an email. Ponsetto was charged with driving under the influence when a witness saw her drive away from a supermarket “clearly intoxicated” and responding officers spotted open containers of alcohol and marijuana in her car on May 29. “She was also charged with driving with a suspended license,” Puzzello said. Ponsetto also faced charges of resisting arrest, driving under the influence, and driving with a suspended license on Oct. 10 when police responding to a 911 call arrived to find her in “a physical altercation with her mother.”
Ponsetto’s next court date related to the viral incident is set for Oct. 20, CBS News reported.
RELATED: Supervised release handed down after Keyon Harrold's son falsely accused of stealing iPhone
RELATED: Woman shown attacking son of Grammy Award-winning trumpeter was arrested before
RELATED: 'He is a child!!!' Teen son of Grammy Award-winning trumpeter wrongfully accused of stealing
RELATED: Investigation underway after Keyon Harrold's son falsely accused of stealing iPhone