Cancer Nurse Dies Of Injuries After Being Knocked Over In Times Square By Mugger

BAYONNE, NJ — Members of the Filipino and nursing community are mourning the loss of Maria Ambrocio of Bayonne.

Ambrocio was a nurse in the cancer unit of Bayonne Medical Center and had been accompanying a friend to the Filipino consulate when she was knocked over in Times Square and taken to the hospital with traumatic brain injury. She was taken off life support on Saturday, according to the Philippine Consulate in New York City.

Police and the Philipine Consulate have said the man who knocked Ambrocio over was "described as a mentally disturbed homeless man," and several outlets identified him as Jermaine Foster, 26. Foster had previous arrests that included forcible touching and before the incident that killed Ambrocio, he had snatched a cellphone out of someone's hands and was trying to run away — according to the New York Times, he also crashed into a police officer and was arrested. About 90 minutes before, Foster broke into a woman's home, demanding money and only leaving after he got $15 from her.

NYC Mayoral hopeful Eric Adams tweeted about Ambrocio's death, using it as an example for "the failure of our entire public safety eco-system."

The Philipine Consulate joined Adams' call, saying "We reiterate these calls as we mourn our loss but we also ask ourselves: How many more Maria Ambrocios do we have to mourn before the streets would be made safe again?"

The consulate is hosting a mass for Ambrocio at the Church of St. Francis of Assis at 135 West 31st Street and West 32nd Street on Monday.

The Health Professionals & Allied Employees issued a statement mourning Ambrocio's loss on Sunday. She was a local 5185 member for 21 years. The union said, "She is remembered as a loving, kind-hearted nurse who gave her all for her patients. We are left with a hole in our hearts this morning as we try to come to terms with her untimely death."