EMT Killed In Bronx After Man Runs Over With Stolen Ambulance
UPDATE: 4:50 a.m. EDT — Jose Gonzalez, 25, was charged with Arroyo's murder, grand larceny and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs in Bronx. "I'm innocent. I didn't do nothing. I'm innocent," Gonzalez said while he was being escorted by the police.
Original story:
Police suspects a 25-year-old man for the killing of a New York City Fire Department's (FDNY) Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in Bronx Thursday after he stole the EMT's ambulance and ran over her, reports said. Police has not revealed his name yet.
The EMT, 44-year-old Yari Arroyo, also a 14 year veteran of the FDNY was responding to a call about a pregnant woman. Another woman named Monique Williams also accompanied her. The incident happened around 7:10 p.m. EDT when the pair was warned about a man riding on the back bumper of their ambulance, according to officials. Anis Nagi, a witness present during the incident said that he and some others stopped the ambulance when they noticed the man riding at the back. Arroyo and her partner pulled over, Arroyo came out and left the door open. While she tried to talk to the man, he immediately jumped to the driver's seat and drove towards Arroyo. "He reversed so hard and she was dragged, he ran over her and she went under the wheels," Nagi said, New York Times reported.
Arroyo died after she was taken to the Jacobi Hospital and her partner Williams was treated for some minor injuries.
The FDNY posted on Twitter mourning her death. The FDNY commissioner Daniel Nigro spoke of the two officials' bravery after meeting with their family, ABC 7 News reported. "They were acting very bravely; they certainly wanted to continue on their way to the call. This person had no business being in this ambulance," Nigro said.
Mayor de Blasio was also present at the hospital Thursday night.
"We know our EMTs are brave and do crucial work, they save lives, they should not ever have to be subjected to violence, yet the danger always exists for them," the mayor said, according to NY Daily News. He also tweeted about how it was a great loss for FDNY.
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