“Our Daughter, Our Hero”: Late Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad’s family speaks out

November 7, 2026

OFFICIAL STATEMENT FROM THE FAMILY OF U.S. ARMY STAFF SGT. ANGEL SARAH RAMPERSAD

“OUR DAUGHTER. OUR HERO. HER MEMORY IS NOT A POLITICAL WEAPON.”

Our daughter was an American hero. Her life, her service, and her memory will not be used by anyone, including elected officials, for political purposes, personal disagreements, or to settle scores against individuals, other elected officials, organizations, or anyone with whom they may have differences.

We have endured the unimaginable pain of losing our daughter. We should not have to endure the additional pain of seeing her memory become part of a political dispute.

From the very beginning, Sam Esposito, President of the Ozone Park Residents Block Association (OZPKRBA) and the Ozone Park Howard Beach Woodhaven Lions Club, was the first person to reach out and offer our family assistance. He brought together Pesach Osina, Community Liaison to New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin; Carlos Garcia, former advisor to the OZPKRBA; U.S. Congressman Gregory W. Meeks; Raimondo Graziano, Chief of Staff to New York State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr.; Senator Addabbo himself; and New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin.

We also want to recognize the Lions Club for its compassion, generosity, and unwavering support of our family during this difficult time, including organizing and coordinating the entire memorial ribbon campaign and candlelight vigil in Angel’s honor.

Together, these individuals and organizations stood beside us, helped us through our grief, and continued to fulfill their commitments to our family. We will forever be grateful.

Our family will not be placed in the middle of anyone’s personal or political disagreements.

We also want the record to reflect that it was the OZPKRBA, under Sam Esposito’s leadership, that initiated the effort and submitted the request on July 27, 2026, to have a street co-named in our daughter’s honor.

We sincerely thank New York City Council Member Joann Ariola for introducing the street co-naming legislation, City Council Speaker Julie Menin for her efforts to advance and expedite the recognition, and Mayor Zohran Mamdani for his support of efforts to honor Angel’s life and service.

We are grateful to everyone who has helped move this recognition forward and look forward to the completion of the legislative approval process.

However, we are deeply disappointed by recent reports and what we perceive as attempts to use our daughter’s recognition to discredit those who have supported our family. We know who was there for us, and no political narrative will change our family’s experience.

OUR FAMILY’S WISHES MUST BE RESPECTED

It is our family’s express wish and expectation that the Ozone Park Residents Block Association host and coordinate the official street-naming ceremony honoring our daughter.

The OZPKRBA has been there from the beginning, knows our family, understands our wishes, and has promised to ensure Angel receives the respectful and dignified tribute she deserves.

Our family has formally communicated to the OZPKRBA our requested date for the street-naming ceremony: Saturday, May 8, 2027, the day before Mother’s Day.

This date holds profound sentimental meaning for our family, as Mother’s Day 2027 will be our first without Angel. We cannot think of a more meaningful way to honor her memory than to gather as a family and community on the eve of Mother’s Day to celebrate her life, her service, and the love she brought into our lives.

As Angel’s mother, Carol Acevedo wishes to express the deeply personal significance of this occasion:

“For me, as Angel’s mother, this will be my first Mother’s Day without my beautiful daughter. The pain of her absence is something I will carry for the rest of my life. Having the street-naming ceremony on the day before Mother’s Day would mean more to me than words can express. It would be a special way to honor my daughter, celebrate her life, and remind the world that she will never be forgotten. I sincerely hope that our family’s wishes for this meaningful date will be respected.”

We respectfully but firmly ask Council Member Joann Ariola to honor our family’s wishes and allow the OZPKRBA to host this ceremony on Saturday, May 8, 2027.

We welcome Council Member Ariola’s participation, along with that of all elected officials who have helped make this recognition possible. However, we want the organization that has supported us from day one to coordinate this important occasion.

This ceremony must be about Angel, not politics, recognition, or personal credit.

A DIRECT REQUEST TO ALL NEWS OUTLETS

We respectfully call upon all newspapers, news organizations, and media outlets that have reported on our daughter’s street renaming to review their previous coverage, issue appropriate corrections or retractions of inaccurate or misleading statements, and ensure that the public record accurately reflects the facts and our family’s wishes.

We ask that proper recognition be given to the Ozone Park Residents Block Association for initiating the street-renaming request, the Ozone Park Howard Beach Woodhaven Lions Club for its support of our family and for organizing the memorial ribbon campaign and candlelight vigil, and all the individuals and elected officials who stood beside us throughout this process.

We are not asking the media to take sides. We are asking them to report the truth, acknowledge those who helped, and respect the wishes of the family whose daughter is being honored.

Our daughter served her country with honor. We ask that her memory be treated with that same honor and that our family’s wishes be respected.

Let the record reflect the truth. Let those who helped be acknowledged. And above all, let our daughter rest in honor and peace.

Angel was our daughter. She is our hero. And we will forever be her voice.

With love, gratitude, and unwavering pride,

Judy Rackal Singh

Aunt of Staff Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad

Official Spokesperson for the Family

Carol Acevedo

Mother of Staff Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad

Issued on behalf of the family of U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad