Vigil held for social worker brutally murdered while conducting home visit in Peekskill
PEEKSKILL, Westchester County (WABC) -- There were silent prayers and overwhelming grief Thursday night at a vigil in Westchester County for a social worker who died after being brutally beaten last month while conducting a home visit for work.
Maria Coto, 56, was murdered on May 14 in Peekskill during a home visit for a client. Co-workers were shocked and heartbroken by Coto's violent death.
They said her life was filled with joy and love.
Coto was murdered after she knocked on the wrong apartment door above a Peekskill deli, looking for a client.
Haseem Jenkins, 31, was arrested and is expected to be charged with her murder.
Some of Coto's family came to the vigil on Thursday. They said Coto was close to retirement and knew that what she did, serving the underserved, was both dangerous and important.
"She loved her job, but there were also a lot of challenges and she never shied away from talking about that either," said Coto's niece Victoria Gutierez.
Coto's union and Westchester County are in discussions to consider changes that could make her job less dangerous.
"She was so close to retiring, and now that's been taken away from her," Gutierez said.
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