Vigil honors social worker beaten to death in Westchester County

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. - Westchester County social workers gathered Thursday to honor one of their own who was beaten to death on the job .

Maria Coto died June 19th, weeks after being beaten by a man after she mistakenly knocked on his door while trying to visit a Department of Social Services client. Her death at age 56 came as a devastating shock to everyone at DSS.

"We don't want to think about what happened to Maria. We want to focus on the Maria that her friends knew, her colleagues knew, as well as her CSEA family," Hattie Adams, president of CSEA Unit 9200, said.

She loved to dance and the color pink. Many of the attendees at Thursday evening's vigil wore pink to honor her. Colleagues said she had a big heart and deep devotion to her career as a social worker.

"We hope that Maria gets justice for what has happened to her, yes," Adams said.

Charges expected to be upgraded

The criminal complaint details a horrific crime. Coto was punched and repeatedly kicked on May 14, allegedly by a man wearing heavy boots after mistakenly knocking his door.

Haseem Jenkins, 31, was charged with attempted murder and assault before Coto died. A grand jury is expected to re-indict on murder charges soon. He remains in jail without bond awaiting upgraded charges.

What's being now to protect social workers

Social workers say they never know what to expect when they visit homes in the field. There are new security measures in place since Coto's attack, including more workers going out in pairs, and emergency funding to provide additional security escorts for those who request them.

"We will continue to make sure that we work in conjunction with the county to provide the safety and health, well-being for all of our members," Adams said.

The union is in ongoing discussions with the county about safety in the field, including whether technology like a remote panic button would help.