A Westchester County man who beat a social worker to death after she knocked on the wrong door was convicted Wednesday of murder, manslaughter and other crimes.
Hasseem Jenkins, a 32-year-old Peekskill resident, was found guilty of killing 56-year-old Maria Coto outside his apartment building.
“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,” Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace said in a statement.
Coto was making a home visit to an apartment on May 14, 2024, in Peekskill when she accidentally knocked on Jenkins’ door instead of her client’s, according to investigators. Jenkins walked out and immediately punched her in the face, chased her into a neighboring apartment and stomped her with heavy boots.
Throughout the deadly beating, Jenkins screamed and cursed at Coto. His words were recorded on a 911 call that Coto made after the initial punch.
At trial, Jenkins’ attorneys argued that he accidentally ingested PCP earlier in the day and therefore should not be convicted of murder because he had no intent to kill.
However, the jury agreed with the prosecutors, who focused on the horrific nature of Coto’s injuries and Jenkins’ aggression as recorded on the 911 call. Jenkins was convicted of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, robbery, burglary and weapons possession.
“Maria devoted her brief time on Earth to helping others,” Cacace said. “She was a petite woman with an uncommonly generous spirit. She will live on in all the lives she touched along the way.”
