Sunny Hostin's son cited for trespassing as mom represents him
Sunny Hostin's son Gabriel Hostin was cited for trespassing on Metro-North Railroad tracks in New Rochelle, New York, on June 16, 2026. The View co-host and former federal prosecutor is representing him and asked prosecutors to drop the case, calling it an honest mistake before his July 31 court date.
Key Takeaways
- Gabriel Hostin, 24, received a trespassing violation—not an arrest—after being found on Metro-North right-of-way in New Rochelle on June 16.
- Bodycam footage shows Sunny Hostin on the phone and later on scene, citing her role as a former federal prosecutor while pleading the stop was an innocent mistake.
- Court records list Sunny Hostin as her son's lawyer; she wrote the district attorney seeking dismissal ahead of a July 31 hearing.
- Officers said the track location can be an arrestable offense but issued a lesser trespass violation because he was cooperative and stayed in the right-of-way.
The citation has drawn attention beyond the usual bizarre news beat because a national TV host is both mother and counsel—and because police bodycam captured the exchange in real time.
What happened on the Metro-North tracks?
According to TMZ court records, Gabriel was cited June 16 for trespassing on the right-of-way of active railroad tracks. The New York Post reported he was detained near 24 Station Plaza in New Rochelle shortly before 8 p.m. after being spotted on Metro-North tracks in violation of posted no-trespassing signs.
Gabriel told officers he had been out for a run and saw an open gate near the tracks. Sunny later wrote that he noticed a gravel incline that looked useful for hill training, that the gates were standing open, and that the only "No Trespassing" sign was on the left gate and not visible once the gates were open.
Did Sunny Hostin try to talk police out of the citation?
Yes. Newly released bodycam footage obtained by the New York Post shows Sunny was on the phone with Gabriel when officers stopped him. She identified herself as a co-host of The View and a former federal prosecutor, stressing that her son is a Harvard graduate with no criminal record.
After arriving on scene, she again argued he teaches fourth-grade geometry to South Bronx kids and that the incident was an innocent mistake. Gabriel asked whether a summons was necessary; officers said yes and that their hands were tied because of cameras. One MTA officer said being on the tracks can be an arrestable offense, but they were "dimming it down" to a trespass violation because he was in the right-of-way, not in the gauge between the rails, and had been cooperative.
Is Sunny Hostin representing her son in court?
Court records obtained by TMZ list Sunny Hostin as Gabriel's lawyer. She sent a letter to Westchester Assistant District Attorney Amanda Greene asking that the case be dropped before the scheduled hearing, describing a 2025 Harvard graduate with no prior criminal contact and calling the episode an honest mistake.
She argued dismissal would avoid unnecessary consequences for someone she said poses no risk to the community. Gabriel is due back in New Rochelle court on July 31. Sunny Hostin declined comment to the Post; her representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.