The death of José Peralta leaves his wife looking for answers

The devastated wife of Senator José Peralta, in the state of Queens, was looking for answers. On Thanksgiving morning, she was trying to understand the sudden death of her husband.

"We really do not know what happened," Evelyn Peralta told reporters at her home in Jackson Heights. "He had a fever, took him to [to the hospital]. He just took a turn for the worse. "

Peralta, who represented a district of Queens encompassing various neighborhoods such as Corona, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights and Woodside, died Wednesday night at the age of 47.

His wife said the politician had a fever for the first time on Tuesday and the family planned to spend Thanksgiving at Evelyn's sister, Evelyn's sister, in New Jersey.

"He was complaining of pressure in the head and shortness of breath, but he went to see a doctor and they found nothing, everything was normal," Evelyn said. "And [Tuesday]he developed a fever. "

Evelyn said Wednesday that Peralta "could not breathe, then suddenly he stopped".

"He started mumbling and I knew something was wrong," she said of her husband, adding that the family had called an ambulance.

Peralta leaves Evelyn, their 13-year-old son Myles, and his 21-year-old son Matthew in a previous relationship behind.

"He was with us," said Evelyn, referring to Myles. "He's a kid, so it has not hit him yet. I do not know how he will feel after that. "

Evelyn noted that Myles was "close to her father. He loved his father, "whereas she called her husband" a good father "and" a good husband. "

"It was a good guy," she says. "Many people knew him. They appreciated what he did for the community, "

In March 2010, Peralta marked history in the same way as the first Dominican-born American to the New York Senate.

"It was his time," said Evelyn before sadly remarking, "We are all going to be sad for a moment."

The family is waiting for the results of the autopsy of the city's medical examiner's office.

"They said that it could be meningitis, but they do not know it until they get the results," she said. , adding that Peralta had developed "a very serious infection."

"He had a fever. It was the first indication that something was wrong, "she said. "He just stopped breathing. He had fluid in his lungs. He had trouble breathing and without oxygen.

Evelyn said that she did not know where the infection was coming from.

"Even the hospital was surprised at what happened," she said.

She said that Peralta had been under "pressure behind her ears".

"He thought maybe it was an ear infection or something in his ear that had bothered him for a while, at least a week," she said. "He started having headaches. He was taking Tylenol because they gave him Tylenol. They said that it could be related to the sinuses. "

Peralta's death has rocked New York politics.

Governor Cuomo, in a statement released Thursday, called it "a dedicated civil servant, a keen supporter of Queens and a pioneer of the first American-Dominican elected to the New York State Senate".