Aunt of slain FDNY EMT Yadira Arroyo hopes accused Bronx killer will face trial as debate rages over his mental health
The New York Daily NewsDec 20, 2018
"I sense that he's both," Acevedo, 61, said Thursday before a
"You can be mentally ill and also be a criminal," added the maternal aunt of the slain
Prosecutors announced their challenge Thursday to a finding that the gangbanger with a history of drug use and mental illness should not stand trial in the horrific
Arroyo, the 44-year-old mother of five sons, was twice run over with her own ambulance after Gonzalez jumped behind the wheel and took off, finally dragging her body into a
Gonzalez, 25, appeared for the hearing in an orange prison jumpsuit, wearing a black stone necklace and a maroon shawl. His expression remained cold as the attorneys argued over his potential murder trial.
Defense attorney
"There's a roomful of EMTs," she complained. "This was a political decision. They almost never contest the findings."
Test results from the city
Doctors on both sides will appear next month at the hearing to make their cases.
Acevedo, noting that her dead niece's 46th birthday arrives this Saturday, expressed optimism that the killer will face his day in court.
"At least tonight, when we pray and think of her, we can tell her that it's moving in the right direction," she said. "The wheels of justice are moving slowly, but hopefully it's moving in the right direction."
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