The woman who pled guilty to fatally shoving an 87-year-old New York City voice coach was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison Friday, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's office.
Lauren Pazienza shoved 87-year-old Barbara Gustern in Manhattan on March 10, 2022. Gustern died five days later of blunt force trauma to the head, officials said at the time.
Pazienza was also sentenced to 5 years post-release supervision. Her attorney, Arthur Aidala, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On the day of the incident, Pazienza shouted obscenities at Gustern before she crossed the street and shoved her to the ground, the district attorney’s office said. She eventually fled to her family’s Long Island home and was arrested almost two weeks after the attack.
The incident occurred without provocation, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Justin McNabney said at the time.
Gustern fell and hit her head, causing hemorrhaging to the left side of her brain, according to the district attorney's office. She was taken to the hospital where she became unconscious and died five days later after being removed from life support.
Pazienza pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter in a plea deal on Aug. 23, according to a statement from the district attorney's office.
“Barbara Gustern’s sudden, violent death at the hands of Lauren Pazienza left a family and community in mourning,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement shared with NBC News. “There is nothing that can bring her back, but I hope that the resolution of these proceedings can provide some sense of closure amid her loved ones’ ongoing grief.”
