A New York man who beat a social worker to death when she knocked on the incorrect door has been convicted of murder.
Hasseem Jenkins was convicted of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, robbery, burglary, and third-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.
The allegations stem from an attack on social worker Maria Coto, 56, on May 14, 2024, while doing a site visit in Peekskill, New York, according to the Westchester District Attorney’s Office.
Jenkins, according to the D.A., “repeatedly punched [Coto] in the face, chased her into a neighbor’s apartment, and repeatedly kicked her in the head while wearing heavy boots.”
Coto was injured in the attack, including a cerebral bleed, brain edema, and facial fractures. She died at the hospital five weeks after the attack.
“Maria Coto’s life was cut short on May 14, 2024,” District Attorney Susan Cacace stated. “As proved during a multi-week trial, Hasseem Jenkins beat her until the nerves in her brain stem were severed beyond repair, hurling repeated epithets as she lay dying on the floor.”
“Maria devoted her brief time on Earth to helping others,” the statement read. “She was a small woman with a very generous spirit. She will be remembered in all the lives she touched along the road.
According to CBS, Coto was at an apartment complex when she knocked on Jenkins’ door by mistake. According to prosecutors, Jenkins was under the influence of PCP at the time.
Prosecutors said Jenkins will be sentenced in December.
