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Patrick Destine, of Queens, was arraigned on second-degree murder and other charges in Nassau County Court on Wednesday, June 7, in the beating death of 54-year-old David McKenzie in Baldwin in April 2023.
According to prosecutors, it was around 11 p.m. on April 15 when Destine and McKenzie got into a minor car accident in Baldwin, near Shuman Place and Forest Avenue.
Destine had two other passengers in his car, including his girlfriend and now co-defendant, 19-year-old Aisha Pitt.
After the crash, McKenzie began to walk away from the scene and Destine followed him. That’s when prosecutors say Destine repeatedly kicked and stomped McKenzie on his head.
When police arrived, they found McKenzie on the ground, bleeding from the head. He was taken to Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after midnight.
Investigators discovered that his credit card and driver’s license had been stolen.
Officers found Destine and Pitt walking away from the crash scene and arrested both without incident.
“After a late-night collision in Baldwin, an intoxicated Patrick Destine allegedly followed the victim, David McKenzie, and repeatedly kicked and stomped on his head and left him to die just steps away from his home,” Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly said in a statement.
“When the defendant was taken into custody, he also had McKenzie’s credit card and identification. David McKenzie was a father and grandfather, and our thoughts remain with his family as they grieve his loss.”
In court Wednesday, Destine pleaded not guilty to the following charges:
- Second-degree murder (felony)
- Fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property
- Two counts of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol (misdemeanor)
A judge ordered him jailed until his next court appearance, set for July 27. If convicted on all counts, he faces up to 25 years to life in prison.
Pitt, of Elmont, is charged with the following:
- Fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property
- Fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property (misdemeanor)
- Second-degree obstructing governmental administration (misdemeanor)
- Resisting arrest (misdemeanor)
- Disorderly conduct (misdemeanor)
She was additionally charged with second-degree assault after allegedly striking a police officer outside a Nassau County courtroom following Destine’s initial court appearance on April 17.
Speaking with reporters outside the courtroom, McKenzie’s family said he always tried to avoid confrontation whenever possible.
“David was the type of person who would try to walk away,” his sister-in-law Vivienne Williams said. “It’s really a sad moment for the family. It’s a wound that is going to take a very long time to heal.”
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