Filipino Nurse Dies After NYC Mugger Slams Into Her While Fleeing Crime Scene

A 58-year-old New Jersey nurse who was assaulted in New York City by a homeless man with alleged mental health issues has died, officials and her family said.

Maria Ambrocio died Sunday, hours after she was removed from life support, the Philippine Consulate General in New York said in a statement.

"They just pulled the plug on her. She's gone," Ambrocio's brother, Carlito, told the New York Post via text message.

Ambrocio, an oncology nurse who lived and worked in Bayonne, New Jersey, was walking with friends through Times Square around 1:30 p.m. Friday. She had accompanied a friend to the Philippines Consulate in Midtown and had lunch before heading home, friends and family said.

It was the same time that police said 26-year-old Jermaine Foster allegedly stole a cell phone from a woman at West 41st Street and Broadway and fled the scene.

Witnesses said Foster sprinted full speed through the Crossroads of the World after allegedly snatching the phone and crashed into Ambrocio, according to a more recent report by the New York Post. The crash resulted in Ambrocio slamming her head on the pavement, which knocked her unconscious and left her foaming at the mouth, according to a criminal complaint.

"I heard a big thump like something hit the concrete… And I looked down and I saw her blouse, I didn’t see the face and I said, ‘Oh my God, Ning,’ I call her Ning," recalled 70-year-old Emilia Cruz, who said she was walking alongside Ambrocio as Foster knocked her down.

"I said ‘Ning, what happened? Wake up.' And she was out. She was already unconscious. She is not answering me. I keep picking her up. She was frothing from her mouth. And I said, ‘Call 911,'" added Cruz, a nurse who worked at Bayonne Medical Center with Ambrocio.

Ambrocio was rushed to Bellevue with head trauma. She reportedly never regained consciousness and was declared brain dead.

Foster was charged with second-degree murder in Ambrocio's death and two counts of robbery in the alleged phone theft.

Foster was also charged with robbery and burglary for allegedly breaking into a third victim's apartment at Sixth Avenue and 38th Street less than two hours before the two other incidents. He allegedly sat on the woman's couch and screamed, "I'm an African prince!" before leaving with around $15, according to the victim.

Judge Frank Nervo ordered Foster held without bail for the murder case, while a $50,000 bail was set for the alleged home invasion.

Foster had previous arrests in New York, police said. He was charged with forcible touching on Sept. 12 for allegedly groping the backside of a 30-year-old woman.

Manhattan prosecutors asked for Foster to be held on $3,000 bail or a $5,000 bond for that case, but Judge Laurie Peterson released him without bail pending a return court appearance on Oct. 21.

Foster's mother claimed her son was "not a violent person" and that he lived in a homeless shelter following the COVID-19-related death of his father, who was his primary caretaker. She also said she was unaware of what her son was being treated for, but she noted that his medication included a "monthly shot."

"Did he accidentally bump into [Ambrocio] when he was running? Or he just pushed her?" the woman, who did not wish to be named, told the outlet.

Foster's stepfather, who was also not named, added, "He’s been in and out of the hospital for mental issues. He’s been in the system almost a year. He has a social worker. The city gave him a social worker. When he [doesn’t] take his medication, he might get a little angry."

The Philippine Consulate has since called for heightened police visibility, among other measures, following Ambriocio’s death, as well as incidents of Filipinos being "violently assaulted by individuals with mental health issues" and a "surge in anti-Asian hate incidents."

"We also supported calls for authorities to take the necessary measures to address mental health issues, especially among the homeless," the consulate said in its statement. "We reiterate these calls as we mourn our loss, but we also ask ourselves: How many more Maria Ambrocios do we have to mourn before the streets would be made safe again?"