No felony charges filed in Phoenix TSA groping case

PHOENIX - Prosecutors in Arizona say they won't file felony charges against a Colorado woman accused of groping a female Transportation Security Administration agent at Phoenix's airport.

Jerry Cobb, a spokesman for county prosecutors, said Tuesday that the facts don't rise to the level of a felony.

The case against 61-year-old Yukari Mihamae of Longmont now goes to Phoenix's city prosecutor's office, which handles all misdemeanors in the city.

That office says it hasn't received the case and hasn't decided whether to charge Mihamae.

Police say Mihamae grabbed a breast of an unidentified agent Thursday after the TSA said she refused to go through passenger screening. She was arrested on suspicion of sexual abuse and released on her own recognizance.

The incident has inspired thousands to express their support for Mihamae on social media.

A Facebook community fan page called “Acquit Yukari Mihamae” had more than 3,200 followers as of Tuesday afternoon and the numbers continue to go up. People posting on the page praised Mihamae for her bravery while others offered to donate money to her defense.