Authorities arrested a former hostess Monday for allegedly contaminating a koi pond with feces, New York Post reported.
Ariel Roman, a former hostess at the upscale nightclub TAO in downtown Manhattan, was arrested following a series of alleged incidents. Authorities charged Roman with burglary and criminal mischief after reportedly throwing feces into TAO’s koi pond, according to the New York Post. She was banned from the establishment for prior misconduct.
Ex-TAO hostess accused of tossing poop in NYC hotspot’s koi pond busted for feces fling https://t.co/IzJZYT3WpG pic.twitter.com/H5AV5SoMlE
— New York Post (@nypost) July 8, 2024
The incident reportedly caused $3,135 in damages and occurred around midnight June 2. In addition, she was apprehended outside Manhattan Criminal Court, where she was attending a hearing for a separate harassment case, the outlet reported. She faced allegations from a TAO-affiliated promoter, accusing her of stalking and sending repetitive messages, charges to which she pleaded not guilty.
Roman claims her actions and the subsequent accusations against her stem from her attempts to expose alleged sexual assaults and unethical behaviors by TAO promoters. She told New York Post her whistleblowing efforts have made her a target of false reports and anonymous threats, suggesting a conspiracy to silence her. (RELATED: Cameraman Sues Famous Rapper For Alleged Hostile Work Environment, Unpaid Wages)
“That’s my desperation,” she said on why she allegedly contaminated the koi pond. “That’s what led me to do something to get on the news with the TAO [poop throw] thing. I’m desperate because nobody’s taking accountability.”
TAIPEI, TAIWAN – AUGUST 25: Japanese koi fishes or carps in Zhu Zi Hu aka Bamboo lake, Beitou, Taipei, Taiwan on August 25, 2023 in Taipei, Taiwan. (Photo by Eric Lafforgue/Art in All of Us/Corbis via Getty Images)
Adding to her legal woes, Roman was also charged with assault for an unrelated incident at Hearsay nightclub, where she allegedly threw a bottle, causing injury to another individual, the outlet stated. This incident adds to her history of confrontational behavior, as she was previously arrested for aggravated harassment outside Nebula nightclub.
Her story is complicated by personal trauma, including a breakup with a TAO promoter who she claims threatened and assaulted her, New York Post reported. Roman’s case garnered attention on social media, where she vocalized her experiences and found support from others with similar allegations against the nightclub promoter.
