In a week that saw a pro-Trump mob storm the Capitol, it seems unbelievable that any piece of news could capture our collective attention, but that’s precisely what happened with Miya Ponsetto, dubbed “SoHo Karen” by the media after she assaulted a Black teenager in December for allegedly stealing her phone. (In fact, he didn’t.) Ponsetto has gone viral after a tense interview with Gayle King went online on Friday; keep reading for all the information on the bizarre case.
What Did Ponsetto Do?
Ponsetto accused 14-year-old Black Keyon Harrold Jr. of snatching her phone in a New York hotel lobby on December 26. Despite Harrold Jr.’s repeated claims that he doesn’t have her phone, the security video shows Ponsetto attacking him from behind. The phone was later discovered to be with the driver of an Uber she had driven earlier, who left it off at the hotel. Before authorities could catch Ponsetto, she escaped the hotel.
Ponsetto was arrested on a fugitive warrant by Ventura County Police on Thursday in Piru, California, after refusing to get out of the vehicle during a traffic check, prompting deputies to remove her physically.
Ponsetto Fought Back When She Was Arrested, And Her Lawyer Claims She Suffers From Anxiety
According to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, police tried to pull Ponsetto over while driving, but she didn’t stop until she came home. They said Ponsetto then “refused to get out of the vehicle” and that she “attempted to slam a car door on one of the deputies,” according to NBC News. According to the media release, she was detained on an outstanding warrant and put into the county’s pre-trial detention center after being “forcibly removed” from the car. According to the media release, NYPD detectives were in Ventura County at the time “to assist in the coordination of the arrest.”
According to NBC News, Ponsetto’s lawyer, Sharon Ghatan, Ponsetto “briefly left her things unattended in the lobby when she collected an item from Starbucks in the washroom.” According to Ghatan, Ponsetto is “emotionally and psychologically sick” and “suffers from many anxiety episodes.” “For a little while, she became insane,” Ghatan told NBC News that she is sorry.
Ponsetto was first identified as the suspect by an acquaintance in a comment posted on Harrold’s Instagram video. The New York Post verified her identity on December 31, citing NYPD sources.
Ponsetto did not react to Heavy’s requests for comment, which were sent to a phone number and an email address found in her internet records. Her parents did not reply to demands for comment, and it was unclear if she had retained a counsel to speak on her behalf. On December 30, Ponsetto did make a phone interview with CNN.
During the interview, she was recognized as a 22-year-old lady. In the interview, Ponsetto said that she was the victim of an attack. She said that she is not racist and scared about potential prosecution and public backlash.
“Of course I’m concerned. That is not my personality. Ponsetto told CNN, “I truly… strive very hard to make sure that I am always doing the right thing.” According to the New York Post, Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison indicated that Ponsetto might face charges such as harassment, assault, grand larceny, or attempted theft during a news conference. NBC News reported on January 7 that it was unclear what accusations Ponsetto might face.
Ponsetto, A Simi Valley High School Graduate, Has Been Arrested Twice In 2020 & Was Sued In 2019 For Being Behind On Her Rent
Ponsetto earned his high school diploma in 2016 from Simi Valley High School in Ventura County, California, roughly 40 miles outside of Los Angeles. According to images on a photographer’s website that has since been made private, she was a cheerleader at the school. She was in New York City for unknown reasons. Ponsetto had been staying at the Arlo SoHo Hotel but had checked out on December 23, according to hotel personnel, according to Harrold’s Instagram post.
Ponsetto was arrested twice in 2020, according to online data. The California Highway Patrol charged her with DUI, driving while her license was suspended, and failing to respect traffic lanes on September 1 in West Los Angeles. She was previously charged with public drunkenness on February 28 after a Beverly Hills hotel incident. Nicole Ponsetto, her mother, was also detained during the event.
She has an Etsy profile where she has favorited jewelry, masks, and iPhone covers, among other things. Ponsetto also seems to have an ExploreTalent acting and modeling profile from when she was younger.
Ponsetto and a man she was living with were sued by a property firm in Los Angeles Superior Court in 2019 for owing $1,250 in rent at their Sun Valley, California, apartment, according to court documents.