Vigil honors FDNY EMT Yadira Arroyo 4 years after fatal ambulance hijacking

By Laura French

NEW YORK — A vigil was held Tuesday night to honor FDNY EMT Yadira Arroyo, who was killed in the line of duty in an ambulance hijacking four years ago. 

The vigil was scheduled for 6 p.m. EDT at the corner of White Plains Road and Watson Ave., where Arroyo was fatally struck by the stolen ambulance on March 16, 2017, according to the New York Daily News. A moment of silence was held at 7:07 p.m., one minute before the time of Arroyo's death. 

Arroyo was a 14-year veteran of the department and the mother of five children. Her brother, Joel Rosado, became an FDNY EMT in 2019 to honor his sister's legacy. The same year, an emergency call box engraved with Arroyo's name and image was installed in her memory at the corner of White Plains Road and Watson Ave. 

Jose Gonzalez, 29, is charged with murder in Arroyo's killing. Gonzalez has not yet stood trial due to multiple hearings to determine his mental fitness, as well as delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 23. 

"We want the world to remember that she gave her life for her job," Arroyo's uncle, A.J. Hernandez, told the Daily News. "... Sadly, we're going to mark the fourth anniversary of her death waiting for the court system to provide some justice for her injustice."