The California woman, dubbed “SoHo Karen” after wrongly accusing a Black teenager of stealing her cellphone in New York City, pleaded guilty to a hate crime charge, officials said Monday.
Miya Ponsetto, now 23, has admitted to unlawful imprisonment “as a hate crime,” but can re-plead and have the charge reduced to misdemeanor aggravated harassment if she steers clear of any trouble for two years, Manhattan prosecutors said.
Viral video showed Ponsetto lunging at, tackling and shouting at Keyon Harrold Jr., then 14, who she accused, with no evidence, of taking her iPhone.
The incident took place Dec. 26, 2020, in the lobby of Arlo Soho, an upscale, boutique hotel where the teen and his jazz musician father, Keyon Harrold, were guests.
It was later discovered that Ponsetto, who is white, left her phone in an Uber and the device was returned to her. The incident has been held up as a symbol of racial profiling.
“Ms. Ponsetto displayed outrageous behavior. As a Black man, I have personally experienced racial profiling countless times in my life and I sympathize with the young man victimized in this incident,” Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg said in a statement Monday.
“This plea ensures appropriate accountability for Ms. Ponsetto by addressing underlying causes for her behavior and ensuring this conduct does not reoccur.”
Jan. 1, 202101:54
The New York case is piggybacking on a previous DUI case in California in which Ponsetto is serving probation and undergoing counseling.
Ponsetto, a receptionist in Southern California, is grateful for the deal, her attorney Paul D’Emilia said.
“We are pleased that today’s proceeding brought this unfortunate misunderstanding closer to a final resolution,” D’Emilia said in a statement. “Miya Ponsetto has been leading an exemplary life since this incident with the young man close to a year and a half ago.”
Ponsetto hopes the victim “accepts her regrets and apology for her behavior that evening, and that all involved can move forward,” according to D’Emilia.
If Ponsetto does not comply with her terms of probation, should could face between 1 1/3 to 4 years in New York state prison, prosecutors said.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
