Crime28 April, 20266 min read
Ben Pasternak Arrested In New York After Altercation With Evelyn Ha At Baccarat Hotel
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Pasternak was arrested in New York on April 21 after an altercation with Evelyn Ha. He faces assault and strangulation charges; outlets vary on whether it's felony or second-degree.
Arrest, charges, and dates
Ben Pasternak’s domestic-violence case involving Evelyn Ha has moved from a breakup into a criminal proceeding after Pasternak was arrested in New York following an altercation at a hotel on March 31, 2026. Azat TV says Pasternak, “26,” appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday to face charges including “second-degree strangulation, a felony, and misdemeanor assault,” and that the incident occurred on the same day the couple “formally ended their relationship.” Azat TV also states that Ha is “27-year-old” and that she released a video statement on Thursday explaining her decision to end their “three-year relationship” after the March 31 altercation at the “Baccarat Hotel in Manhattan.”
The Express Tribune similarly frames the timeline as reports that Pasternak was arrested in New York for allegedly assaulting Ha on “March 31,” and says he was charged with “one count of strangulation and two counts of assault with intent to cause physical injury.” The Express Tribune adds that Pasternak “has pleaded not guilty and is due to appear before the New York Criminal Court on June 11,” while Azat TV says he is “scheduled to return to court on June 11.”
The Times of India adds additional procedural detail, saying Pasternak was arrested and charged with “second-degree strangulation and assault,” that “He has said he is not guilty,” and that “a hearing set for June” is underway. Across the reporting, the case is anchored to the same core dates—March 31, 2026 for the altercation and April 21, 2026 for the arrest—while the next court date is consistently described as June 11.
What prosecutors allege
Court documents cited by Azat TV describe prosecutors’ allegations about what happened during the dispute at the Midtown luxury hotel. Azat TV says prosecutors allege that during a dispute at the “Midtown luxury hotel,” Pasternak “squeezed Ha’s neck with both hands, causing visible bruising and breathing difficulties.” It further states that “Further allegations include injuries sustained by Ha to her arms and hips during the encounter,” and it places the incident “on the same day the couple formally ended their relationship.”
Azat TV also reports that Pasternak “appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court on Tuesday to face charges including second-degree strangulation, a felony, and misdemeanor assault.” The Express Tribune likewise says the situation gained attention following reports that Pasternak was arrested in New York for allegedly assaulting Ha on “March 31,” and it specifies the charging structure as “one count of strangulation and two counts of assault with intent to cause physical injury.”
The Times of India adds that Pasternak was charged with “serious crimes, including second-degree strangulation and assault,” and that he “has said he is not guilty.” In the same case narrative, Art Threat describes the hotel as the “luxury Baccarat Hotel” and says the “$2,000-per-night hotel became the center of a domestic violence accusation,” while also stating that Evelyn Ha posted a YouTube video explaining why she left.
Ha’s statement and her rationale
Evelyn Ha publicly addressed the events after Pasternak’s arrest, describing her decision to leave the relationship as a safety measure.
“I'm no longer in a relationship. There's been serious boundaries that were crossed and I decided to move away from that relationship for the sake of my safety and my well-being.”
Azat TV says Ha “publicly addressed the events of March 31, 2026, breaking her silence following the April 21 arrest of her former partner,” and that she released a video statement “on Thursday” on YouTube.
Azat TV quotes Ha’s explanation that she ended the relationship to protect her “personal safety after an altercation at the Baccarat Hotel in Manhattan,” and it adds that she emphasized she “moved away from the relationship to ensure her own wellbeing.”
The Express Tribune quotes Ha directly, stating, “I'm no longer in a relationship. There's been serious boundaries that were crossed and I decided to move away from that relationship for the sake of my safety and my well-being.”
Art Threat also quotes Ha’s statement in a similar form, saying, “There were serious boundaries that were crossed, and I decided to move away from that relationship for the sake of my safety and my wellbeing,” and it describes her as posting a “YouTube video” to reveal her side of the “March 31 night.”
Art Threat further says Ha explained the decision was hers “to protect herself during an increasingly toxic situation that she says escalated inside their Manhattan hotel room.”
Across these sources, Ha’s public comments are presented as a pivot from private dispute to a high-profile legal battle, with her account centered on boundaries crossed and her choice to move away for safety and wellbeing.
Defense claims and Pasternak’s video
Pasternak’s defense, as described by multiple sources, centers on a claim of lawful self-defense and a counter-narrative that Ha was the primary aggressor.
Azat TV says that through his attorney, Joshua Kirschner, Pasternak “has entered a plea of not guilty, asserting that his actions constituted lawful self-defense,” and it reports that a spokesperson for Pasternak alleged Ha was “the primary aggressor.”
Azat TV adds that the spokesperson characterized the relationship as “volatile” and claimed the influencer had “threatened Pasternak previously.”
The Times of India says Pasternak’s legal team claims he “acted in self-defense,” and that Pasternak released a video on “April 26, 2026” after keeping silent for days.
The Times of India also quotes Pasternak’s denial, saying, “I have never strangled anyone in my entire life. I’m not physically aggressive… most people would describe me as super gentle.”
It further reports that Pasternak argued Ha was abusive toward him, saying, “She was physical with me and this was an open secret among her sisters and my friends,” and it adds that he claimed a couples therapist suggested “serious steps like a restraining order.”
Taken together, the sources depict a defense that denies strangulation and physical aggression while asserting self-defense and portraying Ha as the aggressor, with Pasternak’s April 26 video serving as a central public statement.
Third-party support and online claims
Beyond the direct exchange between Ha and Pasternak, the reporting includes additional voices and claims that expand the dispute.
“During that relationship, I experienced things that were consistent with parts of what Ben described. Including physical violence.”
PopRant says that shortly after Ben released his video, “another ex-boyfriend, Fred Liu, came forward to support Ben's claims,” stating that Evelyn was “also the violent party during their relationship.”
PopRant quotes Fred Liu’s public statement as saying, “During that relationship, I experienced things that were consistent with parts of what Ben described. Including physical violence.”
The Express Tribune similarly reports that Fred Liu backed assault allegations, describing that Liu “shared a written statement” after Pasternak released his video and that he said he had not planned to speak publicly but felt compelled.
The Express Tribune includes Liu’s statement that “During that relationship, I experienced things that were consistent with parts of what Ben described. Including physical violence,” and it adds that Liu said a version of events shared at the time “did not fully reflect my experience.”
PopRant also includes a separate set of online claims tied to Ha’s sisters, saying Redditors revisited old clips and comments about “Emily and Erica,” and it reproduces a resurfaced comment that alleges, “Emily literally pulled Emily's hair and scratched her,” and that “you could see scratches on Erica's neck on her vlog.”
Across these sources, third-party statements and resurfaced online material are presented as part of the broader public controversy surrounding the criminal case, even as the legal process is described as the venue where evidence will be tested.