Man convicted of killing beloved FDNY EMT Yadira Arroyo gets maximum sentence
BRONX, New York (WABC) -- The man convicted of killing beloved FDNY EMT Yadira Arroyo six years ago received the maximum sentence on Wednesday morning.
Jose Gonzalez was sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing the mother of five.
Dozens of Arroyo's colleagues gathered outside the courtroom after the sentence was handed down and her family was gifted the handcuffs used to arrest the suspect.
It was an emotional scene inside the court as three impact statements were read, including two from EMS colleagues and one from Arroyo's aunt who largely quoted Arroyo's mother.
Laida Acevedo's statement said there is not a word in this world that can describe the feeling of losing a child and the excruciating pain is immeasurable.
"I am left with a lifelong feeling of sadness," Arroyo's mother conveyed. "You killed Yadi. You ran her over not once, but multiple times. You could have stopped. Her life mattered."
She said Gonzalez has shown no remorse and asked for the maximum sentence of life without parole: "A life for a life."
Arroyo was an FDNY EMT and was mowed down by the man who stole her ambulance.
Gonzalez, 31, was found guilty of first-degree murder.
Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark made a promise to Arroyo's family when she was murdered on the job in 2017.
"Six years ago I promised this family, FDNY, and this city that the Bronx district attorney's office would get justice for Yadira Arroyo, today that mission was accomplished," Clark said. "This morning Jose Gonzalez was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the horrific and senseless death of FDNY EMT Yadira Arroyo."
Gonzalez did address the court and repeatedly said he was sorry, saying, "I never meant to hurt anyone, I was intoxicated, please forgive me."
The judge said he did consider intent given that Gonzalez was high on PCP and marijuana at the time, but noted that the jury rejected that during the trial and he did hand down the maximum sentence.
Gonzalez is a career criminal with more than two dozen prior arrests.
This case was delayed several times because of questions about the defendant's mental competency and because of COVID.
"Yadira Arroyo was an extraordinary EMT who cared for her patients deeply - just as she was doing when she was brutally killed six years ago," said Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh. "We are grateful her killer will never be on the streets again, with no eligibility for parole. We join her family in our continued mourning of her loss and hope this sentencing can offer a pathway to healing for those who loved her. We will continue to honor her memory of service to our city."
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