Woman who attacked jazz musician’s Black son in SoHo hotel, falsely accused him of theft, IDed as California resident

The woman caught on video attacking the Black son of a prominent jazz musician, falsely accusing him of swiping her iPhone in a Manhattan hotel, has been identified as a 22-year-old California resident, police sources said Thursday.

Miya Ponsetto — a former cheerleader at Simi Valley High School — has been named as the woman in an attack on Keyon Harrold Jr., 14, the day after Christmas, the sources said.

The tourist who wrongly accused Keyon Harrold's son of stealing her iPhone in a Manhattan hotel has been identified, police sources said Thursday.
The tourist who wrongly accused Keyon Harrold’s son of stealing her iPhone in a Manhattan hotel has been identified, police sources said Thursday. (Keyon Harrold)

Cops have yet to locate her. She no longer lives at her most recently listed address in Sun Valley, the new tenant of the residence told the Daily News. A woman at family address in Piru declined to comment when approached by The News on Wednesday. Other attempts to get comment from Ponsetto have been unsuccessful.

On Wednesday night, the NYPD released surveillance video showing her tackling the young teen inside the Arlo Hotel on Dec. 26.

Keyon’s father, Grammy-winning trumpet player Keyon Harrold, posted footage of the encounter to his Instagram account, after Ponsetto accused the teen of stealing her iPhone and demanding that he show her his phone. An Uber driver dropped off her missing phone moments later.

(L-R) Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton, President of National Action Network, Keyon Harrold and Civil rights and Personal Injury attorney Ben Crump are pictured at City Hall Park during a press conference regarding the racial profiling suffered by Keyon and his son Keyon Harrold Jr. at the Arlo Hotel in downtown Manhattan. Keyon Harrold well-known Black jazz musician and his 14-year-old son were harassed at a fancy Arlo SoHo hotel after a woman falsely accused the teen of taking her iPhone in a viral video.
(L-R) Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton, President of National Action Network, Keyon Harrold and Civil rights and Personal Injury attorney Ben Crump are pictured at City Hall Park during a press conference regarding the racial profiling suffered by Keyon and his son Keyon Harrold Jr. at the Arlo Hotel in downtown Manhattan. Keyon Harrold well-known Black jazz musician and his 14-year-old son were harassed at a fancy Arlo SoHo hotel after a woman falsely accused the teen of taking her iPhone in a viral video. (Luiz C. Ribeiro/for New York Daily News)

Ponsetto could face assault and attempted robbery charges, police have said.

On Thursday, Mayor de Blasio said the scene hit home for him, and called for “real action here by the criminal justice system to make sure there are consequences in this case.”

“Yeah, this has to end,” Hizzoner said. “It’s almost become tragically comical how much you can rely on the fact that someone will unjustly accuse a young man of color in America. I mean, it’s just crazy. It’s very personal for me.”

De Blasio referred to his own son, Dante, who is Black.

“I have a son of color who is about as good a human being as you could possibly imagine,” he said. “And yet, I know, he will be looked down on and disrespected throughout his life – and it’s not fair, and it’s not right, and it has to end.”

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