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BAYONNE, NJ (CBSNewYork) – A New Jersey nurse who was seriously injured after being knocked to the ground by a suspected assailant in Times Square has died.
Just over 24 hours after oncology nurse Maria Ambrocio was assaulted in Times Square, she was removed from the intensive care system and died.
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His close friend Emilia Cruz was by his side, as well as his family.
“It’s a horrible thing. I don’t know what to tell you, ”she told CBS2’s Kiran Dhillon. “I can’t feel it now because she’s gone. She left.”
Cruz has trouble catching his breath.
“She was all the friends everyone wants to have. He was a very nice person. Extremely sincere, honest and loving, ”she said.
The two nurses from Bayonne Medical Center, Cruz and Ambrocio were in Times Square on Friday afternoon. Cruz says that they had just finished lunch when a man entered Ambrocio in front of a pizzeria.
Police said the man was being prosecuted after he stole another man’s phone.
Ambrocio fell and broke her skull when her head hit the sidewalk.
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“I hope he gets charged and, you know, justice should be served, so that my friend’s life is not in vain,” said Cruz.
Homeless Jermaine Foster, 26, took off but was later caught and arrested, police said. They also say Foster was involved in another theft from a woman’s apartment shortly before the Times Square incident.
In Bayonne, where Ambrocio worked as a nurse for more than two decades, Mayor Jimmy Davis says he befriended her during the pandemic, even seeing her last week. He says he has always been impressed with his commitment to his patients, adding that his passing has left a permanent hole in the community.
“She’s a darling. He was a loving person, a caring person. All she wanted was to help. Even during the pandemic, she worked overtime. She did everything she had to do for the people of the city of Bayonne, ”Davis said.
Ambrocio’s friends tell us that she was married and had stepchildren. A committed member of her church and the Filipino community, they add that in addition to helping people, she loved music and travel.
“She’s like a sister to me, a younger sister. She is a good nurse, an excellent nurse, ”said Cruz.
They say their friend will be remembered for her generous heart and endless dedication to helping others.
Foster faces multiple charges including robbery, assault and burglary.
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Kiran Dhillon of CBS2 contributed to this report.
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