The woman accused of fatally shoving Broadway vocal coach Barbara Maier Gustern last March pleaded guilty Wednesday, the Manhattan DA said.
As part of the plea agreement, Lauren Pazienza, 26, of Port Jefferson, will serve eight years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision, according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
What You Need To Know
- The woman accused of fatally shoving Broadway vocal coach Barbara Maier Gustern last March pleaded guilty Wednesday, the Manhattan DA said Wednesday
- As part of the plea agreement, Lauren Pazienza, 26, of Port Jefferson, will serve eight years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision, according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg
- Pazienza will be officially sentenced on Sept. 29
Prosecutors said Pazienza encountered 87-year-old Gustern after leaving Chelsea Park in Manhattan around 8:30 p.m. on March 10, 2022. She yelled obscenities at the elder woman and then intentionally shoved her to the ground before walking away, according to prosecutors.
Gustern fell and hit her head on the pavement, causing massive head trauma and bleeding to the brain, according to authorities. She lost consciousness and died on March 15, authorities said.
“Lauren Pazienza aggressively shoved Barbara Gustern to the ground and walked away as the beloved New Yorker lay there bleeding. Today’s plea holds Pazienza accountable for her deadly actions,” Bragg said in a statement. “We continue to mourn the loss of Barbara Gustern, a talented musical theater performer and vocal coach who touched so many in New York City and beyond.”
After the attack, prosecutors said Pazienza stayed in the area for over 20 minutes and watched the ambulance arrive to bring Gustern to the hospital.
Pazienza deleted her social media accounts and wedding website after the attack, according to the Manhattan DA. She fled to her parents’ home on Long Island after Gustern’s death, prosecutors said in court last year.
She turned herself into police on March 22, 2022, and was charged with first-degree manslaughter and second-degree assault, according to authorities.
Pazienza will be officially sentenced on Sept. 29.