Man beaten to death after Long Island crash tried to avoid confrontations, family says

On Monday, Patrick Destine, the man accused of beating David McKenzie to death, appeared before a judge while the victim's family watched from outside the courtroom in Baldwin, NY. The victim's mother was crying and praying after the arraignment.

According to the police, the incident occurred when the men's vehicles collided at the intersection of Schuman Place and Forest Avenue on Saturday, and Destine had recently bought his 2004 Infiniti G35.

Following the collision, the two men left their cars. According to authorities, Destine pursued and caught up to the 54-year-old victim as he tried to reach his nearby home. He proceeded to brutally kick and stomp on the victim's head and face, resulting in his death. Once the victim was no longer conscious, Destine searched through his pockets and then moved on to search through his car. Nassau County Police Detective Capt. 

Stephen Fitzpatrick shared that Destine became extremely angry due to the accident which led to this violent and deadly attack.

Shortly after the attack, police apprehended Destine who was accompanied by his girlfriend, Aisha Pitts. According to reports, Pitts, a 19-year-old woman, was present during the incident and in possession of the victim's credit cards.

Although Destine was detained by authorities, Pitts was released. However, she was present when the judge denied bail for Destine and subsequently got arrested after causing a scene outside the courthouse.

She yelled, "Get away from me! Get off me!"

This occurred during a road rage incident that resulted in the death of the other driver. Prosecutors informed the judge that Destine had a criminal history and had already spent time incarcerated for previous offenses. They claimed that Destine had allegedly made threatening remarks, stating a desire to cause harm to the victim.

Attorney Scott Migden, who is representing the suspect, stated that currently, the accusations are unsubstantiated, and they are cautious about making any judgments. They eagerly await the revelation of the truth. As per court records, investigators have concluded that at the time of Saturday's accident, Destine was driving while intoxicated with a blood alcohol level of .12.

Additionally, according to investigators, Destine was at fault for the collision, and the victim, McKenzie, was not to blame. McKenzie reassured Destine that he wouldn't involve the police.

According to Vivienne Williams, the victim's sister-in-law, David had a tendency to avoid conflict and was not the kind of person to engage in it. She expressed her sadness for the family and said it would take a long time to recover from the loss.

Destine has been accused of second-degree murder and DWI and is scheduled to appear in court again on April 19.

On Monday, Pitts' conduct at the courthouse resulted in charges of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and assaulting a police officer.

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