A Florida mother has been charged with inciting a riot of 500 people at an ice rink after urging her daughter’s friends to “kill that bitch” after her birthday party was canceled, police said.
Stephanie Pedroso, 36, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of causing a disturbance after a reservation for an “after-hours birthday party” was canceled at Astroskate in Brandon in May for breach of contract. According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
On May 14, Pedroso made a reservation for a party to celebrate his daughter’s birthday on May 17, but had to cancel it after he was unable to secure an off-duty police officer as agreed to in the contract.
Police said Pedroso was given refunds.
But an infuriated Pedroso posted an expletive-filled rant on her daughter’s social media accounts and urged her friends to come to the rink anyway.
“If they’re still going out there, kill them. I’ve got money and I’ll pay you dearly,” Pedroso is heard saying in the video, according to police.
“Hopefully we can all come together tomorrow and destroy this motherfucker,” she added.
Pedroso can also be heard calling on people to “put them to work” and “stress them out.”
At approximately 9:20 p.m. on May 18, police responded to a report of a “crowd of 500 people” having descended on the rink, where several fights broke out.
Police said in May that officers ordered the crowd to leave, claiming they were trespassing, but the mob continued to fight, vandalizing nearby shops, committing theft and disrupting business.
At a nearby barber shop, one victim was beaten and thrown through a glass window before being taken to a local hospital.
It took officers nearly six hours to quell the riot, in which five local businesses were damaged.
Authorities arrested 23 minors and three adults at the scene.
“The use of social media to incite rioting and business destruction is completely unacceptable and we will not tolerate such behavior in Hillsborough County,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement.
“This is a stark reminder of how quickly a situation can spin out of control and shows the importance of acting responsibly and the consequences of inciting violence,” he added.
Pedroso was charged with inciting a riot, unlawful use of a two-way communication device and driving while license suspended, revoked or revoked, authorities said.
She was released from custody Thursday on $2,500 bail. According to prison records.
It was not immediately clear when she was scheduled to appear in court.
