The man charged in the killing of an FDNY EMT in the Bronx last week waived his court appearance on Wednesday.
Jose Gonzalez, 25, of Fordham Heights is accused of carjacking the ambulance Yadira Arroyo was driving and running her over with it in Soundview on March 16, police said.
Gonzalez will not testify in front of a grand jury, his attorney said Wednesday.
Gonzalez, who has 31 prior arrests, has been charged with murder, grand larceny and operating a motor vehicle impaired by drugs, police said. His next court date is April 5, the Bronx district attorney’s office said.
Arroyo, 44, was honored by her fellow EMTs, friends and family at a candlelight vigil Tuesday night outside EMS Station 26 on Boston Road. The 14-year veteran of the FDNY was remembered as a dedicated EMT and loving mother of five.
“We will mourn her loss, but we will celebrate her life for all the good that she did,” said James Leonard, FDNY chief of department.
In an emotional speech, Arroyo’s eldest son, Jose, said he’s at a loss for words until he remembers everything his mom did in her life.
“Only think about the good in her,” he said. “No one think about what happened.”
A wake for Arroyo will be held Thursday and Friday from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m. at Joseph A. Lucchese Funeral Home in the Bronx. Her funeral will be on Saturday at the St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church in the Bronx, the FDNY said.
