Miya Ponsetto is of Vietnamese, Greek, Italian, and Puerto Rican ethnicity, while her parents are Eric and Nicole Ponsetto.
Miya became famous in December 2020 after going viral for committing a hate crime against a 14-year-old African-American male. Ponsetto was, however, able to avert jail time and was let go with a two-year probation.
Summary of Miya Ponsetto’s Bio
- Full name: Miya Ponsetto
- Nickname: SoHo Karen
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: 1999
- Miya Ponsetto’s Age: 25 years old
- Ethnicity: Puerto Rican
- Nationality: Puerto Rican-American
- Marital Status: single
- Miya Ponsetto’s Parents: Eric Ponsetto (father), Nicole Ponsetto (mother)
- Siblings: One brother
- Famous for: Assaulting an African-American teenager in 2020
Tracing Miya Ponsetto’s Ethnicity
Miya Ponsetto is originally from Puerto Rico, but she grew up in the United States and currently resides in Los Angeles, California. There is no confirmation on the particular place she was born, but her date of birth is given as just 1999 as she is currently 25 years old.
While many thought she was Caucasian, Miya Ponsetto has revealed that she has Italian, Greek, and Vietnamese ancestry. She is an alum of Simi Valley High School, California, where she graduated in 2016. She took part in cheerleading activities while at the school, but aside from that, her other academic qualifications have not been made public.
Likewise, her most recent career pursuits are not known, although she may still be in college at the time she went viral for a crime she committed against a Black American teenager. There are reports that she once worked at Richard Mille’s watchmaking company in Beverly Hills, California, as a receptionist.
The only reason Miya’s name became a household mention is the attack she launched on an innocent Black American teenager whom she accused wrongly of theft. Aside from that, nothing would have been known about her.
Who are Miya Ponsetto’s Parents?
Miya Posetto’s parents are Nicole Ponsetto and Eric Ponsetto (who reportedly prefers to distance himself from Miya).
Nicole worked at a plastic surgery establishment as a technician, but the major reason Miya’s mother is in the public eye is her involvement in her daughter’s earlier run-in with the law before her most recent attack on a Black teenager. On February 28, 2020, mother and child were involved in a public altercation at a hotel in Beverly Hills with another person.
The incident, which took place at the Peninsula Hotel, saw Ponsetto get charged with public intoxication. Her mother, Nicole Ponsetto, pleaded no contest to battery on a police officer and public intoxication in the same incident. Subsequently, she was sentenced to 100 hours of community service and entered a 12-month diversion program.
Miya Ponsetto was still serving her probation term when she landed herself in court again for assaulting a teenager over the loss of her phone.
The Arlo Soho Hotel Incident That Made Miya Notorious
In December 2020, Miya Ponsetto’s name made the headlines for the wrong reasons, putting her among racists in the United States. The Puerto Rican woman had falsely accused a 14-year-old boy named Keyon Harrold Jr. of stealing her phone.
The young Black American boy is the son of Grammy-winning African American jazz trumpeter Keyon Harrold, and the father and son duo lodged at the Arlo SoHo hotel when the incident happened. They came down to the hotel lobby for brunch, but instead of enjoying their meal in peace, they were accosted by Miya, who was looking for her phone.
As the story goes, Miya attacked the teenager and his father in the hotel lobby when she discovered her phone was missing. In the video that went viral, Ponsetto can be seen pushing and grabbing both Keyon and his father in an attempt to snatch his phone, which she thought was hers. Miya allegedly scratched Keyon Sr.’s hand during her attempt to snatch his cell phone. She can be heard in the footage shouting, “I’m not letting him walk away with my phone!”
The video also shows the hotel manager, who was supposedly trying to help but was, in fact, trying to confront the teenager about the missing phone. The young woman later had her phone returned by an Uber driver who found it in his car, where she apparently forgot it. She fled the hotel, but the long arm of the law later caught up with her, and she was arrested ten days later in California.
The incident left the young Keyon traumatized, and his parents had to find him a therapist. Keyon’s father and his mother, Kat Rodriguez, also played a massive role in helping him recover from the racial profiling incident.
According to Keyon’s father, the young lad was left ‘seriously traumatized’ after the incident at a Soho hotel. He was made to feel like a criminal, asking his folks, ‘Why me?’. As expected, the family sought justice for their son, and while Miya may not be going to jail, she pleaded guilty to the hate crime.
Miya Ponsetto Escaped Jail Term By Entering a Plea Deal
In April 2022, Miya pleaded guilty to the hate crime she was charged with after the December 2020 incident with a Black American teenager. The California resident was able to avoid prison as the terms of her plea allowed her to enter a fresh appeal to a lesser charge if she adheres to the terms of the plea and her probation is completed for her previous case of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Miya is also expected to undergo counseling and avoid further run-ins with the law for at least two years. She initially pleaded not guilty to the hate crime but later pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree unlawful imprisonment.
Harold Sr did not just sue Ms Ponsetto for putting his son through such a traumatizing incident. The hotel, the company that owns it, Quadrum Global, and the manager also got a slice of the cake.
FAQs
What is Miya Ponsetto’s Ethnic Background?
Miya Ponsetto’s ethnic background is Italian, Greek, and Vietnamese. She has also claimed that she is Puerto Rican as well.
Where is Miya Ponsetto Today?
Miya Ponsetto is presently in California, where she is serving a two-year probationary sentence for second-degree unlawful Imprisonment as a hate crime and second-degree aggravated harassment. The sentence was passed in April 2022 and should end in April 2024.
Who is Miya Ponsetto’s Father?
Miya Ponsetto’s father is Eric Ponsetto while her mother’s name is Nicole Ponsetto. Her mother has worked as a technician at a plastic surgery establishment.