Jose Gonzalez: Man found guilty of killing FDNY veteran Yadira Arroyo after he ran her over with her own ambulance
BRONX COUNTY, NEW YORK: Jose Gonzalez, accused of fatally running over Yadira Arroyo, an FDNY EMT, has been found guilty of murdering the mother of five on Tuesday, March 7. The convicted murderer ran over the veteran with her own ambulance in the Bronx back in 2017, according to prosecutors.
The verdict for the murder case was delayed following questions regarding the 31-year-old murderer's competency to stand trial, as per the Bronx District Attorney's Office. Gonzalez has been convicted of first-degree murder by the Bronx Supreme Court after nearly six years after the brutal murder of the 14-year veteran first responder, reported Law and Crime.
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What happened in the Bronx murder?
Gonzalez killed the 44-year-old woman on March 16, 2017. He hijacked Arroyo's ambulance and ran over her, dragging her body down the street. The prosecutors said, "[T]he defendant grabbed onto the back of the victim’s ambulance and rode on it, then jumped off and stole a backpack from a young man. The robbery victim flagged down EMT Yadira Arroyo’s ambulance and she got out of the vehicle and spoke briefly to Gonzalez. The defendant then jumped into the driver’s seat of the ambulance, and Arroyo and her partner, who was in the passenger seat, told him to get out."
"Gonzalez put the car in reverse, striking Arroyo, then drove forward, pinning her under the vehicle and dragging her across the intersection. The defendant crashed the vehicle into a snowbank and exited the ambulance," the prosecutors added.
Following the incident, authorities confirmed the person behind the slaying and he was arrested immediately. The prosecutors said, "An off-duty MTA Police Officer was nearby and saw the defendant drag the victim with the ambulance and confronted him. When Gonzalez tried to run away, the Officer tackled the defendant and handcuffed him, with the help of several civilians." The mother of five sons died at the hospital.
Justice for Arroyo was delayed
According to Bronx prosecutors, in May 2022, Gonzelez's incompetence to face trial led to a psychiatric stay and was restored to competency in September 2022. Monique Williams, a former EMT partner of Arroyo testified at the trial in tears and a colleague stated that to this day, Williams remains traumatized after the incident, reported CBS New York.
In a statement, the Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said, "Jose Gonzalez was convicted today of first-degree Murder in the horrendous death of Yadira Arroyo, a mother of five and 14-year veteran EMT, on March 16, 2017. The road to justice for Yadi was tortuous; this case was delayed because of numerous hearings regarding the defendant’s fitness to stand trial, but her family and FDNY colleagues were patient and steadfast from the beginning until today’s verdict."
"I thank the witnesses, who saw Yadi in her final moments, for their testimonies during the trial. Yadi lives on in the legacy of her children, and in the countless New Yorkers she assisted in their time of need," the statement continued. The convicted murderer's sentencing is scheduled for April 5.
A Bronx park in memory of Arroyo
A loss to the department, Arroyo's death deeply affected her colleagues. In her memory, the city officials renamed a Bronx park as a "fitting tribute to her service and sacrifice."
The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation stated, "Arroyo was a longtime Bronx resident who was known for her giving nature and kind-heartedness. She volunteered at her local soup kitchen and always took care of those around her. A fourteen-year veteran of FDNY EMS Station 26 in the South Bronx, Arroyo was considered their matriarch. Arroyo lost her life on March 17, 2017, after succumbing to injuries from being struck by her ambulance while trying to prevent its theft. She is survived by her five sons."
"Arroyo was a dedicated public servant who gave her life for the community. She was posthumously awarded the 2017 Medal of Valor by the National Association of Hispanic Firefighters and the Basic Life Support Provider of the Year by the Regional Emergency Medical Services Council of NYC. Arroyo is immortalized in a mural in Soundview, a street co-naming at 169th Street and Boston Road, and on plaques in both the station house and St. Barnabas Hospital," the statement added.