Bayonne, NJ nurse dies after push by Times Square mugger, NYPD says

A North Jersey nurse has died after police say she was shoved to the ground by a mugger in Times Square, striking her head on the pavement.

Maria Ambrocio, 58, of Bayonne, was taken off life support on Saturday, as reported by CBS New York, a day after being pushed by Jermaine Foster, a homeless man now facing charges for stealing a cell phone moments before the fatal encounter.

Ambrocio was an oncology nurse at Bayonne Medical Center, according to Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis.

He had asked for residents to pray for Ambrocio, saying in a Facebook post that the nurse was "viciously attacked in an unprovoked assault by a deranged man."

Foster also is accused of breaking into a Manhattan apartment earlier on Friday.

He has been charged with robbery and assault in connection with the incidents, as reported by the New York Post, which cited police.

“We have joined calls for authorities to take the necessary steps, including heightened police visibility, to protect the public after we noted the surge in anti-Asian hate incidents that targeted some of our kababayan," The Philippine Consulate General of New York said in a written statement shared to social media.

“Kababayan” is a Tagalog word that means fellow Filipino or countryman.

“We also supported calls for authorities to take the necessary measures to address mental health issues, especially among the homeless," the statement said.