A teenage beauty queen is suing police for $210 million (£140 million) over claims officers roughed her up, humiliated her and allowed a prisoner to spit on her after she was wrongfully arrested.
Kristy Abreu, 19, who is the reigning Miss Westchester, in New York state, claims she and her mother were tormented for hours by up to 20 NYPD officers after they were mistakenly pulled over on suspicion of driving a stolen car because of a 'computer glitch'.
She says officers subjected them to invasive frisks and took their possessions - including Miss Abreu's Miss Westchester sash and crown.
She claims they were then thrown in the cells, intimidated and denied access to food, drink or the toilet.
Kirsty and her mum Kendy also say a female prisoner was also allowed to spit on the women repeatedly and harass them with shouts of 'pretty girl' and 'crying little b****'.
Kirsty, who was on her way to a fashion show that night, told the New York Daily News: "We were treated like animals. When we got to the precinct, they just started laughing at us.
"I just hope the community becomes aware of the ways police harass people and make them feel bad. It was just a nightmare."
She said she was driving with her 38-year-old mother, Kendy Paredes when they were stopped for a minor traffic violation.
The women claim they showed valid registration and insurance papers for the Honda Civic but were taken into custody apparently because officers thought the car was stolen.
They claim they told officers they were stopped last year due to a computer glitch that made it appear the car was stolen.
But they say it was another two hours before they let Kirsty get the title documents. When she returned, officers released both women without charge.
Lawyers for the city have declined to comment, saying they had not received notice of the claim.