Neighbors remember victim believed dead in Lower Manhattan parking garage collapse
LOWER MANHATTAN, Manhattan (WABC) -- Neighbors are giving a glimpse into the life of a man believed to have been killed in the wreckage of a parking garage that collapsed in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday.
Those neighbors are identifying the victim as 59-year-old Willis Moore, who they say was the manager of the Ann St. parking garage.
"I think it's honestly a lot to take in," the victim's neighbor Jaedan Hurst said. "When my sister we outside walking her dog, she came back in and told me my neighbor had an accident at work and they did say he passed away from the accident at work."
Moore was believed to have been in the office on the second floor of the four-story garage, when out of nowhere the concrete above caved in. The body of the victim was removed from the debris Wednesday evening and was on the way to the medical examiner's officer.
Enterprise Ann Parking, LLC, the tenant of the parking garage released a statement on Wednesday.
"This is a tragic event. We are devastated at the loss of one of our long-time employees and our thoughts are with his family and those who were injured in the accident," the statement said.
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"As soon as I turned the news on, I heard of the collapse," the victim's neighbor Kurt Jacobs said. "I said to myself, I pray that's not his garage. That's what went through my mind."
Neighbors say Moore was a father of four children. One of his daughters is an active-duty NYPD officer. Neighbors say Moore grew up and lived in Laurelton, Queens most of his life.
"I can't process this," Jacobs said. "Because last summer I shared vegetables with him and we're both from Jamaica."
"From what I know he likes to fish a lot," Hurst said. "Anytime he would go would always bring something for my mom as well. When he was little he would give us tickets to Six Flags."
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That is just one of the kind-hearted neighborly gestures Moore was known for. Another was hiring contractors to fix broken sidewalk.
"He's a like a fixture in the neighborhood," Jacobs said. "I see him as a fixture because he was such a nice guy to talk too."
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