Lawsuit alleges racial profiling in cellphone confrontation

NEW YORK (AP) — The family of a Black teenager who was falsely accused of stealing a woman’s cellphone in a New York City hotel last December has filed a lawsuit accusing the woman and the hotel of racial profiling. The lawsuit filed Wedneday in state court in Manhattan alleges that Keyon Harrold Jr. was “violently accosted” by 22-year-old Miya Ponsetto on Dec. 26, 2020 in the lobby of the Arlo Hotel. Ponsetto was later arrested on charges including attempted robbery. An attorney for Ponsetto says his client has not been informed of any civil lawsuit. Messages seeking comment were left with hotel officials.