The woman accused of pushing an 87-year-old vocal coach to the sidewalk in New York last March, killing her in an unprovoked attack, has pleaded guilty and is set to be sentenced to eight years in prison, officials said. Lauren Pazienza, 28, initially pleaded not guilty to one count of first-degree manslaughter for fatally shoving Barbara Gustern, but changed her plea on Wednesday, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement. “Lauren Pazienza aggressively shoved Barbara Gustern to the ground and walked away as the beloved New Yorker lay there bleeding,” he said. “Today’s plea holds Pazienza accountable for her deadly actions.” Pazienza would have faced a maximum term of 25 years behind bars had she been convicted at trial, a differential that infuriated many of Gustern’s loved ones. “Lauren, you’re extremely lucky,” Gustern’s grandson told reporters after the hearing, according to the New York Post. “I hope you learn some empathy because apparently you’re incapable of empathy.”
