The SoHo Karen Incident occurred on December 26, 2020, when a 22-year-old former cheerleader, Miya Ponsetto, harassed a 14-year-old Black teenager in the lobby of the Arlo Hotel SoHo in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City.[1][2]
| Date | December 26, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Arlo Hotel SoHo |
| Location | New York City, United States |
| Type | Harassment (through physical abuse, psychological abuse, & verbal abuse) |
| Participants | Miya Ponsetto |
| Outcome | Arrested |
| Non-fatal injuries | 2 |
| Property damage | 1 |
| Suspects | Miya Ponsetto |
| Accused | Racial profiling |
| Convicted | Felony |
| Charges | Larceny, child abuse |
| Verdict | 2 years probation |
| Convictions | Assault |
The incident was captured on video with widespread outrage on social media, celebrities, politicians, and others denouncing the incident.[3] It has been described as an example of racial profiling.[4]
Incident
editThe video of the racial profiling incident, captured on camera by Keyon Harrold, the father of the victim, took place inside the lobby of the Arlo Hotel SoHo, where Ponsetto falsely accused the victim of taking her cellphone and demanding that he return it to her. Ponsetto then looked into the camera, screaming "I'm not letting him walk away with my phone".[5][6] Security footage showed her tackling or grabbing the boy.[2][7] The phone was later returned to Ponsetto by an Uber driver.[2][6]
On January 8, 2021, Miya Ponsetto was interviewed by Gayle King on CBS This Morning, claiming that the incident was not racially motivated and that she did not believe it was a crime.[8] Hours later, she was arrested during a traffic stop in Piru, California. Deputies had to forcibly remove her from her car.[2]
Aftermath
editLater, Ponsetto accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to a hate crime.[4][7][9] She was given 2 years probation, and was forced to continue counseling, something which she had been receiving since she had been charged with drunk driving.[4][7]
References
edit- ^ "Internal Documents Reveal How Hotel reacted when SoHo Karen caused Huge Scene". Law and Crime.
- ^ a b c d "Who Is Miya Ponsetto". Vogue.
- ^ "\SoHo Hotel Confrontation: Parents Of Keyon Harrold Jr. Speak Out Against Racism After Woman In Viral Video Charged; 'Racial Profiling... It's Real'". CBS News.
- ^ a b c "Miya Ponsetto pleads guilty to hate crime after accusing Black teen of stealing phone". NBC News. 2022-04-12. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
- ^ "Calls for Miya Posentto's Arrest". ABC News.
- ^ a b "Woman seen in viral video confronting Black teen in NYC is arrested in California". North Jersey Media Group.
- ^ a b c "Woman who wrongly accused Black teen of stealing her phone gets no jail time with plea deal". USA Today.
- ^ "Miya Ponsetto went 'off-script' in interview, claims she can't be racist as woman of color". NBC News.
- ^ "Woman pleads guilty to tackling Black teen she wrongly accused of phone theft". Washington Post.