Peekskill Man Indicted for Murder of County Social Worker
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A Peekskill man was indicted Tuesday for the murder of a 56-year-old Westchester County Department of Social Services (DSS) case worker while she was conducting a site visit on a client at a Peekskill apartment complex in May.
Hasseem Jenkins, 31, was arraigned before New York State Supreme Court Judge Anne Minihan in Westchester County Court after being indicted by a Grand Jury on two counts of Murder in the Second Degree, two counts of Burglary in the First Degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, and Robbery in the First Degree, all felonies, along with Resisting Arrest, a misdemeanor.
According to Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah, on May 14 at approximately 3:08 p.m., Maria Coto was conducting home visits on South Street in Peekskill when she mistakenly knocked on the door of Jenkins’ uncle. Jenkins answered the door and allegedly punched Coto in the face and kicked her in the head while wearing heavy boots.
Coto, who managed to call 911, tried to escape by entering another apartment but Jenkins followed her and continued the assault.
Coto, who sustained severe brain bleeding, brain swelling and multiple facial fractures, was treated for her injuries at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla. She was placed on a ventilator and remained unconscious until she was pronounced dead on June 19.
“Maria Coto was performing her job when she became the victim of a ruthless and brutal attack that led to her tragic death,” Rocah stated in a release. “We are committed to securing justice for Ms. Coto.”
Jenkins was arrested at the scene by the Peekskill Police Department. Coto’s cellphone was recovered from his pocket.
Jenkins pled not guilty to all the charges and was remanded to Westchester County Jail. He is scheduled to return to court on Aug. 6.
On June 6, Westchester County approved additional safety measures for DSS caseworkers, offering enhanced security escorts for staff during community and home visits.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
