Israel Tolentino, 33, a firefighter and an EMT volunteer in Passaic, New Jersey, died from Covid-19 on March 31, 2020. He battled it for nearly two weeks.
Israel Tolentino died from complications after contracting Covid-19, Passaic Mayor Hector Lora said in a Facebook Live, flanked by Passaic Fire Chief Patrick Trentacost. Tolentino, who joined the Passaic Fire Department in December 2018, leaves behind a wife and two children, ages 7 and 9, Lora said.
Battling tears, Trentacost said that Tolentino’s death was considered a line of duty death, as he remembered the young firefighter who fulfilled his dream of joining the fire department little more than a year ago.
“Israel was a great father, person, husband, son,” said Trentacost. Israel is survived by his wife and two small children.