Photo: Barbara Maier Gustern/FaceBook
A judge has denied bail for the New York woman allegedly responsible forfatally shoving an 87-year-old vocal coachin a seemingly unprovoked attack.
Five days after the alleged attack, police said Gustern succumbed to the severe head injury she sustained after hitting her head on a New York City sidewalk, at the hands of Pazienza. Gusterndied at the hospital.
That same day, Pazienzaturned herself into police, where she was charged with manslaughter and assault, according to the station. She initially posted bail.
Pazienza allegedly told detectives that she had several glasses of wine and had just gotten into a fight with her fiancé before she reportedly shoved Gustern, who had just wrapped up a rehearsal.
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One of Gustern’s students, Morgan Jenness, who was in the courtroom for the judge’s ruling, told the outlet she agreed with the decision to deny the suspect bail.
“She ran across the street to push an elderly woman for no reason, because she was having a temper tantrum, and pushed her so hard that she hit her head and bled out and died,” Jenness said. “And I’m sorry for her. I’m sorry for her parents. But what she did needs to have consequences.”
The day of her death, Gustern wrote on Facebook that she was looking forward to performing onstage at Don’t Tell Mama’s piano bar in New York City that coming weekend.
“I went through a period of feeling detatched. I couldn’t remember lyrics. I felt like my voice had totally abandoned me. The thought of doing a show was like sentencing me to be tortured,” Gustern wrote. “But as of today all that is reversed. I feel full of creativity, joy at working on a beautiful show with people I adore and totally respect. I feel like a singer again for the first time in forever.”
Pazienza has retained attorney Arthur Aidala, who alleges to PEOPLE that the evidence as to what happened is unclear, adding, “there clearly was no intent to do serious harm to anyone.”
“We disagree with the judge’s decision on bail today and we are planning our next steps,” Aidala says.
source: people.com
