According to those who knew him best, Irvine was a beloved family man who would do anything for the ones he loved. Yet that protection and affection were ripped from them in what authorities believe was an act of road rage that left him slumped in a car his sister said he adored.
“He loved that Volkswagen,” Zeria Irvine said. “Yes, I’m very angry. I see my family crying. I see them weeping, and I can’t formulate the tears anymore, ’cause I have no tears to give.”
Police said Victor Romero, who was indicted Tuesday on murder after the Manhattan District Attorney’s office presented the case to the grand jury, almost collided with Irvine as he switched lanes on the span at around 6:47 p.m. on Oct. 20. Prosecutors say Romero then followed Irvine and pulled up alongside him when he allegedly opened fire.
The bullet shattered the Volkswagen’s windshield and came to rest inside Irvine’s right shoulder. There was no exit wound.
While his immediate family explained that the days since Irvine’s death have been a nightmare, his friends also say they are struggling to come to terms with the loss. The images of the man they grew up with are still so vivid.
“I can still remember us walking down the school hallways and breakdancing during fourth period lunch. Those are just some of the many wonderful memories I have,” Brian Anthony Bradley said. “We grew up together. We became men together. We watched each other build families, from family trips and dinners to random phone calls just to catch up.”
The sheer, unbridled love for Irvine was on full display Tuesday afternoon when hundreds of utility workers and everyday New Yorkers joined his family in Foley Square to demand justice. They called upon elected officials to stand in the corner and speak out in their favor.
Among the crowd were emotional Con Ed workers who say that Irvine was not only an adored coworker; he was also so skilled at his profession that the current project was stalled following his death.
“It took a big hit. A lot of people took off, obviously, to mourn for him. No one can do what he does. When I came into the group, he actually taught me, took me under his wing, and everything that I know, I learned from that man. I asked to be transferred to that project, so I’m working it now with all the coworkers that were there,” Chris Demmerle said.
Although Irvine’s union and family say they believe Romero’s upgraded charges are a direct result of shared outrage and advocacy, they continue to fume over the fact that Romero continues to be free on $1 million bail while they suffer.
“Victor Romero was given privileges. He was allowed to post bail of a million dollars. Would that same privilege be given to one of our children?” Irvine’s aunt Gale Ford said. “Would they be walking on the street and going home to their families?”
