The woman who was caught on video grabbing a Black teen after she confronted and accused him of stealing her phone has been arrested.
New York City police detectives flew to California with an arrest warrant to take Miya Ponsetto, 22, into custody for her alleged role in the Dec. 26 argument, The Associated Press reported.
Ponsetto confronted Keyon Harrold Jr., 14, when she was unable to find her phone.
The incident was caught on video.
Police said Ponsetto demanded to see Harrold’s phone, believing that the teen stole it. A hotel manager for Arlo Hotel in Manhattan tried to break up the confrontation, the AP reported.
The incident was recorded by Harrold’s father, jazz trumpeter Keyon Harrold, and posted online.
>> Read: Video shows woman falsely accuse Black teen of stealing cellphone
Police released a security video later that they said showed Ponsetto grabbing the teen as he tried to escape. They eventually both fall to the ground.
Police said Ponsetto’s phone had been left in an Uber, and the car’s driver returned the device shortly after the disagreement.
Detectives worked with Ventura County officers in California to find Ponsetto, NBC News reported.
She was spotted by county sheriff’s deputies, who tried to pull her over. Eventually, she complied, but refused to get out of her vehicle, the sheriff’s office said. She is facing possible charges of resisting arrest for slamming a door on a deputy who was trying to get her from the car.
Ponsetto’s attorney, Sharen Ghatan, says her client is “emotionally unwell” and remorseful for the Dec. 26 incident.
She is in jail, but officials have not said what charges she faces. She is awaiting extradition to New York, NBC News reported.
Ghatan said her client “lashed out” over worrying her phone had disappeared, the AP reported.
Cox Media Group
