Woman who falsely said Black teen stole her phone in NYC hotel arrested

[SaysWho?]

Woman who falsely said Black teen stole her phone in NYC hotel arrested in home state of California

WWW.CBSNEWS.COM

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"SoHo Karen" accused him of taking her phone in a NYC hotel and was seen on video tackling him, was arrested in her home state of California.

 

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The teen's father, jazz trumpeter Keyon Harrold, recorded the confrontation and put the video online.

 

In his video, an agitated woman is seen demanding the teen's phone, claiming he stole it. A hotel manager tries to intervene. Keyon Harrold can be heard in the recording telling the woman to leave his son alone. Ghatan confirmed that Ponsetto is the woman in the video.

 

Security video later released by the NYPD shows Ponsetto frantically grabbing at the teen as he tried to get away from her through the hotel's front door. She's seen clutching him from behind before both tumble to the ground.

 

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She "did not stop for deputies until she reached her residence" two blocks away, then refused to get out of the car, Buschow said.

 

"She tried to slam the door on one of the deputies and that's when they just reached in and forcibly removed her," he said, adding that the sheriff's office would ask county prosecutors to charge her with resisting arrest.

 

Ghatan said she spoke to her client earlier Thursday, and that "she strikes me as someone who's unwell."

 

She said Ponsetto "lashed out" over worry about her phone disappearing, and that it wasn't racially motivated.

 

It "could have been anyone," she said.

 

After all this, it turns out "Ponsetto's missing phone had actually been left in an Uber and was returned by the driver shortly afterward."

 

 

 

Surveillance video:

 

 

As it happened:

 

 

The father's account when it happened:

 

"I hate I have to post this!!!

 

I am furious!!! We see this crap happening all the time, but it hits different when it hits home!!! I typically try to keep things positive, but nothing about this video is positive.

The lady in this video assaulted my 14-year-old son and me as we came down from our room in the @arlohotels Arlo Soho to get breakfast. This person quote on quote “lost” her iPhone, and apparently, my son magically acquired it, which merely ridiculous. This incident went on for five more minutes, me protecting my son from this lunatic. She scratched me; she Tackled and grabbed him. He is a child!!! Now watch it again. This lady is not even a guest at the hotel. She checked out of the hotel on the 23rd of December; today is the 26th. Now watch as the manager advocates for the lady who is not even a hotel guest, insisting and attempting to use his managerial authority to force my son to show his phone to this random lady. He actually empowered her!!! He didn't even consider the fact we were actually the guests! Now think about the trauma that my son now has to carry, only coming downstairs to have box day brunch with his dad. Then... her phone was magically returned by an Uber driver a few minutes after this incident. No apology from her after this traumatic situation to my son, not me. No apologies from the establishment. This shit happens so often. It needs to stop!!! If anyone recognizes this person, please tag or DM."