A Valrico woman faces charges after deputies say her comments on social media led to a riot in May outside an Astro Skate in Brandon.
The gathering of up to 500 people — largely juveniles — resulted in a number of fights in the parking lot, and damage to several nearby businesses.
Deputies say Stephanie Pedroso, 36, arranged for an after-hours birthday party for her daughter at Astro Skate and advertised the event on her daughter's social media.
Astro Skate canceled the reservation and issued a refund after it said Pedroso breached the contract by not securing off-duty officers to monitor the event.
Pedroso responded on her daughter's social media by posting a video that contained several expletives and urged her daughter's friends to show up and "inflict violence in the community, which included many of the businesses around AstroSkate" — even offering to pay them, according to a news release.
"Using social media to weaponize our youth is absolutely deplorable," Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the release. "As a parent, I cannot fathom what went through this woman's mind when she put lives at risk to provoke this mayhem."
When deputies arrived after receiving a call around 9:20 p.m., they encountered a crowd of 400-500 people outside Astro Skate and the nearby businesses.
Several fights broke out, according to a previous release.
Deputies issued multiple warnings and warned the people there that they would be charged with trespassing if they didn't leave.
Deputies say a group broke away and attacked a juvenile outside the Time Out Barber Shop and threw him through a plate-glass window, while another group stole merchandise from another business and caused more than $500 in damage.
Deputies say 23 juveniles and six adults were arrested following the fights.
It took deputies more than six hours to disperse the crowd, and five businesses sustained damage, deputies say.
Pedroso was arrested Wednesday and faces charges of inciting a riot. She was released from the Hillsborough County jail.
