Recently released police body camera footage features “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin trying to persuade officers to issue a warning to her son regarding a trespassing incident. She highlights that he has “no criminal record” and mentions her legal background multiple times.
Last month, while she was on the phone with her 24-year-old son, Gabriel Hostin, police stopped her near the Metro-North Railroad tracks in Westchester County.
In the footage, the 57-year-old mother introduces herself to an officer, saying, “My name is Sunny Hostin, one of the co-hosts of ‘The View,’ and I’m a former federal prosecutor.”
Gabriel had been taken into custody on June 16 for allegedly trespassing near the railroad tracks in New Rochelle. He was seen by officers, reportedly just before 8 p.m., where he had crossed into an area marked with “no trespassing” signs.
When questioned by police, Gabriel explained that he was running and noticed a gate near the tracks that was open.
After Gabriel was restrained, the officers and he moved to a nearby street. Hostin arrived shortly after, defending her son vigorously.
She told police, “I’m a former federal prosecutor. I know him. He’s a Harvard graduate who teaches fourth-grade geometry to kids in the South Bronx.” She stressed that her son isn’t the type to get into trouble, claiming it was merely an “innocent mistake,” although she did acknowledge the violation.
Ultimately, Gabriel ended up with a trespassing citation that could have led to an arrest. Interestingly, he didn’t initially attempt to persuade the officers to let him off lightly.
“Do you need this?” he asked the officers, to which they replied affirmatively.
When he questioned the consequences of not adhering to the summons, the officers explained their limitations, stating that even if they hadn’t apprehended him, someone else likely would have.
One officer stressed, “Let me be clear: where you were on the tracks is an arrestable crime.”
However, another officer noted that they were treating it as a minor trespassing violation since he wasn’t in the immediate danger zone of the tracks. The officer acknowledged Gabriel’s cooperation and the positive aspects of his background, but they still had to follow protocol under the surveillance of cameras.
Gabriel is expected back in court in New Rochelle on July 31, with his mother representing him.
While Sunny Hostin has refrained from commenting on this case publicly, she did defend her son in a letter to Westchester Assistant District Attorney Amanda Green, the prosecutor. In it, she explained that Gabriel, while jogging, spotted a gravel slope suitable for hill training but only noticed the open gate, which obscured the visible “no trespassing” sign on the left-hand side.
As of now, a representative for Sunny Hostin has not provided any immediate comment on the situation.
