Sunny Hostin Told Cops She's on 'The View' and Revealed Former Law Career in Desperate Attempt to Keep Son From Trespassing Charges
Sunny Hostin tried to convince officers to drop trespassing allegations against her son, Gabriel.
July 20 2026, Published 7:00 p.m. ET
Newly released police bodycam footage appears to show The View's Sunny Hostin trying to use her "celebrity status" to get cops to drop trespassing charges against her son, Gabriel, RadarOnline.com can report.
When that didn't work, the former federal prosecutor tried using her name and influence to pressure a New York district attorney to dismiss the charges.
Sunny Hostin to the Rescue
Hostin was caught on police bodycam confronting the officers.
Hostin was on the phone with her 24-year-old son, Gabriel, when he was stopped by police along Metro-North Railroad tracks in Westchester County last month.
He was cited but not arrested for the June 16 incident, and has a court appearance scheduled for July 31, which his mother really wants to avoid, as evident by the bodycam video of her confronting the MTA police after they detained her son.
"My name is Sunny Hostin, and I’m one of the co-hosts of The View, and I’m a former federal prosecutor," the 57-year-old could be heard boasting to one officer.
She then told another, "That’s my son. He’s a Harvard graduate; he doesn’t have a criminal record." Moments later, she pleaded with the officer in a desperate attempt to dismiss the charges, "He's not a kid who's ever in trouble. It's an innocent mistake."
Officers Admitted to 'Dumbing Down' the Charge
Hostin's son, Gabriel, was detained for trespassing on railroad tracks.
The responding officers kept their cool, with one seeming to sympathize with the concerned mom, while sharing that they were forced to take action.
"Normally it's a misdemeanor charge," the officer told Hostin. "We're dumbing it down to a trespass violation because you were in the right-of-way, you weren't in the gauge or anything, which is the middle area where the tracks were on."
He then complimented, "And you’ve been very cooperative with us, and you have a good background, everything like that. We know you're not a criminal or anything like that, but our hands are tied with cameras everywhere."
Sunny Hostin Sends a Letter to the District Attorney
Hostin tried to reason with the cops by revealing she is a lawyer.
However, Hostin is continuing to fight for her son, requesting in a letter to the New Rochelle, New York, District Attorney that the charges be dropped.
Hostin wrote that her son is an "avid jogger" who was checking out a "gravel incline" that he hoped to use for hill training when he entered the tracks.
"He reasonably believed the area was accessible and had no intention of entering private property unlawfully," she argued.
The TV star told the DA's office that her son had no intent to trespass and didn't know the property was private because the gates were open.
Sunny Hostin Closes Her Case
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She also let them know she was a star on 'The View.'
Hostin's letter continued, as the attorney argued, "The facts demonstrate that this incident resulted from an honest mistake rather than any criminal intent. The open gates, the placement of the warning sign, and the officer's own acknowledgment that the gate should have been closed all support that conclusion."
She went on to add that Gabriel "has worked diligently to build an exemplary academic and personal record. The continued prosecution of this violation – arising from an honest mistake – serves neither the interests of justice nor the public interest."
The morning TV personality stated that dismissing the citation would "avoid imposing unnecessary consequences on a young man who has demonstrated exceptional character and achievement and who poses no risk to the community."
It's not yet clear if Hostin's pleas will achieve her desired effect.
