Remembering Maria Coto: Mourners say final goodbyes to Westchester caseworker
Officials said Maria Coto was on the job last month when she was brutally beaten at an apartment building in Peekskill.
Friends and family gathered Saturday at Whalen & Ball Funeral Home in Yonkers to say their final goodbyes to Maria Coto – a caseworker with the Westchester County Department of Social Services.
Officials said she was on the job last month when she was brutally beaten at an apartment building in Peekskill. She died from her injuries last week.
It prompted county officials to increase security measures for caseworkers while on the job, including options for security escorts.
Police charged Hasseem Jenkins, 31, last month with attempted murder and assault.
Mourners, including her co-worker Jefferson Romeo, told News 12 that she made a positive impact during her life.
"She was the type of person that can walk into a room and non-verbally announce her presence. Just a kind soul," Romeo said. "[I] felt that it was basically important to be here, to be supportive and just celebrate her life."
After the funeral, the group made their way to Oakland Cemetery for her burial.
