Newly released bodycam footage shows "The View" co-host Sunny Hostin attempting to prevent police from issuing her son a trespassing citation. The incident occurred on June 16 on Metro-North Railroad tracks in Westchester County, New York.
Gabriel Hostin, 24, was detained by officers for allegedly walking along active railroad tracks, an act in violation of posted "no trespassing" signs. He told officers that he believed he entered through an open gate while out for a run and did not intend to trespass.
Within minutes of her son being stopped, Sunny Hostin arrived at the scene and identified herself to the officers. "My name is Sunny Hostin and I’m one of the co-hosts of The View and I’m a former federal prosecutor," she stated in the footage. She emphasized that her son is a Harvard graduate with no criminal record and described the situation as an "innocent mistake."
Despite Hostin's pleas, officers informed Gabriel that he would receive a trespass violation ticket, explaining that their "hands were tied" due to the arrestable nature of the offense and the presence of cameras. An officer noted that while Gabriel was cooperative and had a good background, the location was an arrestable offense.
Gabriel Hostin was subsequently ordered to appear in court in New Rochelle, New York, on July 31. According to reports, Sunny Hostin is representing her son in the case. She also penned a letter to the Westchester Assistant District Attorney requesting a dismissal, describing her son as a Harvard University graduate with no prior contact with the criminal justice system. She stated that he was in the area for training and mistakenly entered the property through an open gate, which obscured the "no trespassing" sign.
In her letter, Hostin argued that a dismissal would prevent unnecessary consequences for her son, whom she described as having demonstrated exceptional character and achievement. She shares Gabriel and their daughter Paloma, 20, with her husband, orthopedic surgeon Emmanuel 'Manny' Hostin.