The woman, who gained notoriety after accusing jazz musician Keyon Harrold’s son of stealing her phone, was arraigned in New York City on Saturday on charges of attempted assault and robbery.
California resident Miya Ponsetto, 22, was also charged with grand larceny and acting in a manner that could bring harm to a child.
She was released after but was ordered to stay away from the 14-year-old Keyon Harrold Jr. and his father.
Ponsetto gained notoriety when she angrily accused the teen of stealing her cellphone on December 26 in the lobby of Arlo Soho hotel.
After the altercation, she found out that she had actually forgotten her phone in an Uber cab when the driver returned it to her that day.
According to a police report, Harrold came to his son’s aid and suffered scratches, and accused Ponsetto of racial profiling.
The Harlem jazz trumpeter managed to record the confrontation with his phone, while surveillance cameras captured Ponsetto appearing to tackle the teen.
Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Sarah Marquez said that Ponsetto is also suspected of damaging an apartment door in the city earlier that same day.
Marquez did not offer any other details about the incident, but said at the arraignment that Ponsetto also faces public intoxication, drunk driving and motor vehicle charges in California.
The New York City Police Department investigators arrested Ponsetto in California on Thursday, and took her back to the East Coast to face charges.
According to her lawyer, Paul D’Emilia, she will likely return to California before coming back for her next court date in Manhattan.
“We are puzzled and disappointed that at this time of heightened tensions in our country that the authorities chose to exacerbate the situation by needlessly flying members of the NYPD across the country, into the teeth of COVID, to bring back a person who would have returned with a simple telephone request,” said D’Emilia.