Peninsula Woman Who Beat Neighbor to Death With Bat Gets 16 Years to Life

REDWOOD CITY, CA – A San Mateo woman found guilty of second-degree murder for beating her neighbor to death with a baseball bat in a fit of anger last year was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison this week.

Brenda Martinez, 41, was sentenced Thursday in the courtroom of Judge Mark Forcum in Redwood City, according to San Mateo County Deputy District Attorney Karen Guidotti.

A jury found Martinez guilty of murder after a 15-day trial last month for the death of 66-year-old Ellen Mackay.

Martinez and Mackay had gotten into an argument while in Mackay's apartment on North Claremont Street at about 8:30 p.m. on July 4, 2015.

Martinez was very angry, went home and came back with a baseball bat, hitting Mackay numerous times in the head. She started to flee but then decided to turn herself in, walking in to the police station and admitting to the crime, prosecutors said.

Police went to Mackay's house and found her suffering from head trauma. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

– By Bay City News Service.