NYC mother sentenced to 15 years behind bars after brutally beating 9-year-old daughter to death

A mother in New York City who fatally beat her nine-year-old daughter with a broom and electrical cord after a dispute over a missing tablet has now been sentenced to 15 years behind bars.

The Daily Mail reported that Shemene Cato, 50, was recently charged with fatally beating her daughter, Shalom Guifarro, in the family's apartment in Crown Heights in May 2022.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said that he hoped the 15-year sentence would bring closure to those who were affected by the brutal murder.

Prosecutors said Cato had apparently dropped a bed on her daughter after she beat her with a broom and electrical cord. Shalom was said to be unable to get up, and that she had died calling out for her mother to help her.

The older sister managed to get away to call the authorities a few hours after her sister's death.

The police soon arrived on the scene in Crown Heights just after 1:00 p.m., according to the report. They attempted to revive the girl, but they were unsuccessful.

The beating reportedly lasted for around two hours, which is when Shalom crawled under the bed to hide from her mother. Cato lifted the bed and attempted to grab her daughter, but the bed apparently collapsed on top of the girl, which caused internal bleeding.

The death was initially ruled as a homicide, and the NYPD said that the young girl had been strangled and hit a number of times before she passed away. There were also bite marks on the girl's neck.

As a result, Cato was arrested and charged with murder, assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and endangering the welfare of a child.

While in court, Gonzalez said that "[t]he life of an innocent young girl was tragically and horrifically cut short at the hands of her own mother."

"Hopefully today's sentence allows for some closure for all who were deeply affected by this heart wrenching case," Gonzalez said, according to the New York Post.

The Post also mentioned that the authorities had visited Cato's apartment 14 times before concerning reports of domestic abuse. However, there had been no previous involvement by child services.

Cato previously worked for the city Human Resources Administration, and her legal bills in the case had apparently been paid for by the union.

The criminal defense attorney representing Cato did not immediately return a request for comment by the Post.

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