A Florida mom has been accused of inciting a 500-person riot at a skating rink in the Tampa Bay area after the owners canceled her daughter’s 18th birthday party, which resulted in the arrest of 26 people, per the Miami Herald.
Stephanie Pedroso, 36, was arrested and taken into custody on Wednesday over the May 18 incident. She has been booked on charges of inciting a riot and unlawful use of a two-way communication device to “weaponize rioters,” the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said.
Investigators said that Pedroso “called for violence” after Astro Skate in Brandon canceled her daughter’s after-hours birthday party because Pedroso had failed to meet a contact requirement by not hiring off-duty deputies for the event.
After being informed about the cancellation the day before the event, Pedroso used social media to encourage as many people as possible to “turn up” and “confront law enforcement,” according to police.
“Using social media to weaponize our youth is absolutely deplorable,” said Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister in the news release. “As a parent, I cannot fathom what went through this woman’s mind when she put lives at risk to provoke this mayhem.”
Continued…
Approved ~ MJM
