"SoHo Karen" Who Attacked Black Teen Over Cell Phone Is Arrested: Report

BY Erika Marie 7.9K Views
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Keyon Harrold, Miya Ponsetto, SoHo Karen, Arlo Hotel, Phone Attack, Attempted Robbery
Her lawyer claims that the incident involving Keyon Harrold's son wasn't race-related & her client, Miya Ponsetto, was just "a scared girl alone in a city."

In late December, Grammy Award-winning jazz musician Keyon Harrold Jr. and his 14-year-old son were minding their businesses at the Arlo Hotel in New York City when 22-year-old Miya Ponsetto accused the teen of stealing her cell phone. The incident was captured on video as the hotel manager seemingly takes sides in the incident and defends Ponsetto as Keyon is heard telling the woman, dubbed "SoHo Karen," that she's wrong. Ponsetto insisted that the teen stole her phone and repeatedly lunged at him before unleashing her physical attack. 

Ponsetto ran and tackled the teen as she tried to snatch the phone out of his hand. She was quickly pushed out of the way and it's reported that Keyon's son sustained scratches. TMZ reports that after over a week of waiting, she was arrested in Los Angeles and is looking at an attempted robbery charge. Meanwhile, Ponsetto's attorney, Sharen Ghatan, told NBC News that the incident wasn't race-related.

“Miya is young, She let her emotions get the best of her. That phone could have been in hand of 90-year-old grandma, an Asian person... Someone Black or blue. It wasn’t a race-related issue. Things took a life of their own," said Ghatan adding that Ponsetto "not a young lady of privilege" because she works "nine-to-five at a typical place." Ghatan also made sure to mention that Ponsetto is of Puerto Rican descent.

“She was a scared girl alone in a city she doesn’t know and lost her one point of contact for her numbers. She lost her mind for a hot minute. She is sorry," Ghatan said. The hotel incident involving Ponsetto resulted in an Uber driver returning her phone as she accidentally left it inside their vehicle. According to Keyon, she never apologized for the verbal and physical altercation and just left the scene.

Watch the assault below.

[via][via]


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.