A California woman who authorities say falsely accused a Black teenager of stealing her cell phone in a New York City hotel lobby last December is now charged with a felony hate crime, according to court documents.
A New York grand jury indicted Miya Ponsetto on four charges including unlawful imprisonment, as a hate crime, endangering the welfare of a child, and aggravated harassment, according to the indictment shared with CNN by the Manhattan DA’s office.
Ponsetto’s attorney, Paul D’Emilia, pleaded not guilty on behalf of Ponsetto, who appeared via teleconference in a Manhattan courtroom Wednesday, according to a spokesperson for the Manhattan DA’s office.