Jose Gonzalez: Man found guilty of murdering FDNY veteran Yadira Arroyo after overturning his ambulance
Bronx County, New York: Jose Gonzalez, accused of fatally running over FDNY EMT Yadira Arroyo, was convicted on Tuesday, March 7 of killing the mother of five. The convicted murderer knocked the old man down in his own ambulance. The Bronx returned in 2017, prosecutors say.
According to the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, the verdict in the murder case was delayed due to questions about the 31-year-old killer’s ability to stand trial. The Bronx Supreme Court found Gonzalez guilty of first-degree murder nearly six years after the brutal murder of the 14-year-old veteran first responder, Law & Crime reports.
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Gonzalez killed the 44-year-old woman on March 16, 2017. He hijacked Arroyo’s ambulance and ran her over, dragging her body down the street. Prosecutors said: “[T]He grabbed the back of the accused victim’s ambulance and climbed in, then jumped out and stole a backpack from a young man. Robbery victim EMT Yadira signaled an ambulance for Arroyo, and he got out of the car and spoke briefly with Gonzalez. The accused then jumped into the driver’s seat of the ambulance and Arroyo, who was in the passenger seat, and his partner told him to get out.
“Gonzalez put the vehicle in reverse, hit Arroyo, then moved forward, pinning him under the vehicle and dragging him into the intersection. The accused crashed the vehicle into a snowdrift and exited the ambulance,” prosecutors added.
After the incident, authorities confirmed the man behind the murder and he was immediately arrested. Prosecutors said, “An off-duty MTA police officer was nearby and saw the accused being dragged into an ambulance and confronted him. As Gonzalez attempted to flee, the officer, assisted by several civilians, grappled with the accused and handcuffed him. The mother of five died in hospital. .
Arroyo’s trial has been delayed
According to Bronx prosecutors, in May 2022 Gonzalez’s incompetence to stand trial led to mental illness and he was reinstated in September 2022. Arroyo’s former EMT partner Monique Williams testified in tears during the trial, and a colleague said that, as CBS New York reported, Williams has remained depressed since the incident.
In a statement, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said, “Jose Gonzalez was convicted today of first-degree murder in the horrific death of Yadira Arroyo, mother of five and 14-year-old EMT veteran on May 16. March 2017. Justice for Yadi Is Tough. was; This case has been delayed by numerous hearings regarding the defendant’s fitness to stand trial, but his family and colleagues at the FDNY have been patient and steadfast from the start until today’s verdict.
“I thank the witnesses, who saw Yadi in his last moments, for their testimony during the trial. Yadi lives in the legacy of his children and has helped countless New Yorkers in times of need,” the statement continued. The convicted murderer will be sentenced on April 5.
A Bronx park in memory of Arroyo
A loss to the department, Arroyo’s death deeply affected his colleagues. In his memory, city officials renamed a park in the Bronx as “a fitting tribute to his service and sacrifice.”
The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation said, “Arroyo was a longtime Bronx resident known for her nature and kindness. She volunteered at her local soup kitchen and always cared for those around her. Fourteen years of FDNY EMS station in the South Bronx 26- His eldest, Arroyo, was considered their matriarch. Arroyo died on March 17, 2017 after being hit by an ambulance while trying to stop his flight. He is survived by his five sons.
“Arroyo was a dedicated public servant who gave his life to the community. He was posthumously awarded the 2017 Medal of Valor by the National Hispanic Firefighters Association and Primary Care Provider of the Year by the New York Regional Council of Emergency Medical Services. A mural in Arroyo Soundview Immortalized, a street is co-named 169th Street and Boston Road and plaques for Station House and St. Barnabas Hospital,” the statement added.
