'The View' Co-Host Sunny Hostin Urges the DA's Office to Drop Case Against Son After He's Hit With Trespassing Violation — as He Has 'No Criminal History'
Sunny Hostin's son was cited for trespassing on private property..
July 13 2026, Published 7:25 p.m. ET
Sunny Hostin has shifted from taking on Donald Trump to fighting for her son's future after he landed in legal trouble over an alleged trespassing incident, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The View panelist, 57, wrote in a letter to the New Rochelle, New York, District Attorney that her 24-year-old son Gabriel is a recent Ivy League graduate with no prior record and asked that the violation against him be dismissed.
Sunny Hostin Is Serving as Her Son's Lawyer
Sunny Hostin gave birth to son Gabriel in August 2002.
Gabriel was accused of trespassing onto an active railroad right-of-way and cited but not arrested for the June 16 incident. He has a court appearance scheduled for July 31, which his mother is arguing doesn't need to happen.
In a letter signed with her full name, Asunción Hostin, the ABC star asked that the violation be dismissed before the court date.
While serving as her son's attorney, Sunny claimed, "The circumstances of this case do not reflect the type of conduct that New York Penal Law §140.05 was intended to address."
She called her "client" a "2025 Harvard University graduate with no criminal history or prior contact with the criminal justice system."
Sunny Hostin Claims Her Son Was Not Aware He Was Trespassing on Private Property
Gabriel Hostin was busted for going on a run up a gravel hill on private property.
Sunny wrote that her son is an "avid jogger" who was checking out a "gravel incline" that he hoped to use for hill training. She stated that the gates to the area were open and that the only "no trespassing" sign wasn't visible at the time.
"He reasonably believed the area was accessible and had no intention of entering private property unlawfully," the former federal prosecutor argued.
Gabriel was then approached by a police officer while running on the hill and immediately called his mom, who was there "within minutes."
The cop allegedly acknowledged to the pair that the gate should have been closed and that he intentionally issued "only a violation — not a criminal trespass charge — in order to deter others from entering the property."
Sunny 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 Said Son Gabriel Has 'Demonstrated Exceptional Character and Achievement'
Sunny Hostin wrote that her son poses no risk to the community and made an honest mistake
Sunny claimed, "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."
Gabriel Hostin Calls His Mom the 'Strongest, Bravest, Most Inspiring Woman'
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Gabriel Hostin praised mom Sunny in a glowing Mother's Day post.
Sunny and Gabriel are extremely close, and he gushed over his mom in a Mother's Day tribute post in May.
"The strongest, bravest, most inspiring woman in my life. I can’t put into words how much my mother has poured into me, how happy she makes me feel, or how many times she’s saved my butt. I'm incredibly lucky to have such an amazing woman and mother figure in my life," he wrote on Instagram, as she replied in the comments, "Thank you, my love. I adore you. Forever. Best son EVER."
The former trial attorney just shared a huge milestone in Gabriel's life on July 10, when she revealed he has been accepted into a program at Columbia University in preparation for medical school.
