Lower Hudson Valley Teen Sentenced For Killing Classmate

A teen from the Hudson Valley received a significant prison sentence for killing a classmate inside Dunkin'.

On Wednesday in Westchester County Court, Z’Inah Brown, 18, was sentenced to 17 years in state prison for the January 2018 stabbing death of another New Rochelle High School student, 16-year-old Valaree Schwab. Brown pleaded guilty to manslaughter in May

In court, the victim’s sister, Britney Schwab, read a statement on the devastating impact Valaree’s death had had on her, her father, and other family members, according to the Westchester District Attorney's Office.

On Jan. 10, 2018, prosecutors allege, a group of New Rochelle teenagers began bullying Schwab and a 15-year-old New Rochelle High School student.

A group of teens, including Brown, physically confronted and assaulted Schwab resulting in a serious physical injury.

At the time of the assault, Schwab dropped her house keys and one of the teens picked up the keys. Schwab then followed the group to Dunkin’ Donuts on North Avenue in New Rochelle, to try to get back her keys.

Inside the store, Brown stabbed Schwab. She was pronounced dead later that day at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx.

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Two other teens, Dominique Slack and Carl Booker, both pleaded guilty to stalking, for being part of the group who stalked Schwab. Booker was sentenced on March 29, to “shock probation” where he will be incarcerated in Westchester County Jail for six months and serve a total of five years’ probation. In February 2019, Slack received the same sentence as Booker.

All of the teenagers were students at New Rochelle High School.

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