“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin tried to talk cops out of issuing her Ivy League-educated son a trespassing citation — telling them he “has no criminal record” and repeatedly citing her legal background, according to newly released police bodycam footage.
The TV personality and former federal prosecutor was on the phone with her 24-year-old son, Gabriel Hostin, when he was stopped by police along Metro-North Railroad tracks in Westchester County last month.
“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 mom can be heard saying to the responding officers in the bodycam footage obtained Friday by The Post.
“That’s my son. He’s a Harvard graduate, he doesn’t have a criminal record,” she said to another cop while on the phone.
Gabriel Hostin was detained on the side of the tracks in New Rochelle for “criminal trespassing” shortly before 8 p.m. on June 16 near 24 Station Plaza after he was spotted “on the right-of-way of the active railroad tracks, in violation of the posted no trespassing signs,” according to the footage and court records
The 2025 Harvard University grad told the cops that he was out for a run and saw the gate near the tracks was open.
After being detained on the tracks, the cops and Gabriel Hostin make their way to a nearby street, when the TV personality arrives on scene, doubling down on defending her son.
“I’m a former federal prosecutor. He knows. He’s a Harvard grad who teaches 4th grade geometry to South Bronx kids,” Sunny Hostin argues to one of the four apparent responding officers.
“He’s not a kid who’s ever in trouble. It’s an innocent mistake,” she pleads while acknowledging the violation.
Ultimately, the 24-year-old was slapped with a trespass violation for what can be an arrestable offense —but not without first trying to sweet talk his way out of the slap on the wrist.
“Is this necessary,” Gabriel Hostin asks the cops who, in unison, respond with, “Yes.”
“What happens if you didn’t do it?” the Harvard University grad asks, referring to the summons ticket the cops were writing.
The cops said their “hands were tied” — adding that if they didn’t spot him along the tracks, someone else would have.
“Because it is an arrestable offense. I want to make that clear, okay? Where you were on the tracks is an arrestable offense,” one MTA cop can be heard asserting in the bodycam footage.
“We’re dimming 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,” one officer says.
“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.”
Gabriel Hostin is due back in court in New Rochelle on July 31 and it appears his former federal prosecutor mom is representing him.
The talkshow co-host declined comment to The Post Monday, but in a letter obtained by TMZ, Sunny Hostin defended her son’s actions to Westchester Assistant District Attorney Amanda Greene, who is the prosecutor on Garbiel’s case.
“When jogging, he observed what appeared to be a gravel incline that could be used for hill training,” Sunny Hostin wrote. “Although there was a gate at the entrance of the gravel incline, the gates were standing open.”
“The only ‘No Trespassing’ sign was affixed to the left gate and, because the gates were open, it was not visible to my client as he entered the property,” she claimed.
Reps for Sunny Hostin did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
https://nypost.com/2026/07/17/us-news/sunny-hostin-was-on-phone-with-son-when-he-was-caught-trespassing-on-metro-north-tracks/
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