Stephanie Pedroso was taken into custody on Wednesday and charged with one count each of inciting a riot, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and driving with a license suspended, canceled, or revoked, authorities announced.
“Using social media to weaponize our youth is absolutely deplorable,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “As a parent, I cannot fathom what went through this woman’s mind when she put lives at risk to provoke this mayhem.”
Following an investigation, deputies said that Pedroso incited the riot of mostly juveniles because Astro Skate canceled her daughter’s birthday party.
Pedroso and Astro Skate on May 14 entered into a contract stating that the facility would host an “after-hours birthday party” for her daughters on May 17, the release states. The contract stipulated that Pedroso was responsible for securing a certain number of off-duty deputies.
Pedroso then shared the event on her daughter’s social media accounts, which authorities said “gained considerable attention and hundreds of likes.”
However, the sheriff’s office said that Pedroso “failed to secure the required off-duty deputies” for the party, meaning she was in breach of the contract with Astro Skate. As a result, the business canceled Pedroso’s reservation and issued her a refund on May 17.
“That’s when Pedroso used her daughter’s social media to make a live video encouraging friends to show up to inflict violence in the community, which included many of the businesses around Astro Skate,” the release states. “In the Instagram live video stream, Pedroso could be heard making multiple violent and vulgar statements as well as numerous racial slurs.”
Pedroso allegedly made the following statements in the video:
Mom incited 500-person riot at skating rink for canceling daughter's birthday party: Cops
Florida mom Stephanie Pedroso was arrested for allegedly inciting a 500-person riot at a local skating rink for cancelling her daughter's birthday party.
