Stephanie Pedroso, 36, was arrested by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for her role in inciting violence outside Astro Skate in Brandon, Florida [1], on May 18, 2024.
She faces charges of inciting a riot, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and driving with a suspended, canceled, or revoked license. Her husband, James Knight II, 38, was also arrested on unrelated charges.
An off-duty HCSO deputy alerted authorities to a large crowd of 500 people and multiple violent fights at Astro Skate that night. Further investigation led to Pedroso’s arrest as the instigator of the violence.
Sheriff Chad Chronister condemned Pedroso’s actions, stating, “Using social media to weaponize our youth is absolutely deplorable. As a parent, I cannot fathom what went through this woman’s mind when she put lives at risk to provoke this mayhem.”
Some of the statements Pedroso made were included in the HCSO press release [2]:
- “For y’all, if y’all still go up there, tear the fuck out of them. I’ve got some money for y’all, and I’ll pay y’all ass.”
- “I hope everybody still show up and tear this bitch up tomorrow.”
- “Make them crackers work.”
- “Stress them the fuck out.”
- “Fuck that, we should still go to Astro.”
Investigators found that Pedroso had arranged an “after-hours birthday party” for her daughter at Astro Skate but failed to fulfill the required security arrangements.
After the venue canceled the reservation and issued a refund, Pedroso took to social media to incite friends to engage in violent behavior near Astro Skate.
The livestream captured Pedroso making multiple violent and vulgar statements, as well as racial slurs.
Once on the scene, it took deputies nearly six hours to contain the behavior that led to one injury and five local businesses sustaining damage.
Deputies arrested 23 juveniles and three adults for their involvement in escalating the chaos at the scene.
Sheriff Chronister emphasized the importance of responsible behavior and the consequences of inciting violence, stating, “Using social media to encourage people to riot and destroy businesses is completely unacceptable, and we will not tolerate that here in Hillsborough County.”