Nassau Police Officer Patricia Espinosa remembered as a 'beautiful human being' in Smithtown funeral Mass

Fallen Nassau County Police Officer Patricia Espinosa was remembered as a “great cop” and a "beautiful human being" as hundreds of her fellow officers gathered to attend her funeral Thursday, days after she was killed by an alleged drunken driver.

Officers from across Long Island and New York City stood in formation in subfreezing temperatures outside St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church in Smithtown Thursday morning. A police pipe and drum band played "Amazing Grace" as Espinosa's coffin, draped in a thin-blue line flag, was carried into the church.

Espinosa, 42, was killed on her to work at the Fifth Precinct Saturday, when her Alfa Romeo was struck. Matthew Smith, 20, of Hauppauge, ran a red light and smashed into her vehicle in St. James, police said. 

Smith has been charged with drunken driving in the fatal crash and is expected to be arraigned Friday morning in First District Court in Central Islip, the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said Thursday.

Espinosa is survived by her husband, Nassau Police Officer Francisco Malaga, and their 2-year-old daughter, Mia.

During the funeral Mass, Espinosa’s friend Christian Obando told the packed church: "I'm here to remind everyone of the beautiful human being she was, day in and day out."

Obando said he met her working in the Fifth Precinct and they bonded over their Ecuadorian heritage. He said Espinosa, whom he affectionately called "Patty," always wanted to be a mother and had nearly given up on that dream before she became pregnant with Mia.

"I know Mia will be in great hands with Patty watching over her and watching over Francisco," Obando said. "We know Francisco will do the best job in being a father and reminding me of the beautiful, most loving person she had for her mother."

"I don't know why God decided to take Patty from us so soon, but I'd like to think she had a higher calling we may never understand," Obando said.

Obando said Espinosa took pride in her career and the accolades she received.

“Patty was a great cop and I mean that in every sense of the word,” Obando said. “She loved this job and was so grateful for the opportunities it gave her in life. But what I think she loved the most was the people she worked with.”

The service was attended by Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine and police commissioners from both counties.

“We're all heartbroken," Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said outside the church before the funeral began. "This is a tragedy that didn't have to happen. This young lady went to go to work that morning to go serve the people of Nassau County, and her life was tragically taken from her. For her husband to be the first person on that scene only to stop and help and find out it was his wife, it's a tough time for us.”

Espinosa's brothers are also cops: Nassau Police Officer Cristian Almeida and David Almeida, of the Philadelphia Police Department.

She was the sergeant-at-arms for the Nassau Police Department's Hispanic Society.

Blakeman spoke during the service and recalled marching with Espinosa during the Puerto Rican Day Parade in Manhattan.

“She was so proud of her heritage that we celebrated all people of Hispanic and Latino background that day, and it reminds us what a great police department we have since the tragic accident,” Blakeman said. “Our hearts go out to the family. Nothing we can say makes this right in our minds, except spirituality and belief in God. God rest your soul, faithful servant of Nassau County.”

Espinosa’s husband read Scripture in Spanish during the ceremony, which also included a reading from one of her brothers.

Nassau Police Chaplain Gerard Gordon said during the service he had visited Sunday with Espinosa's family at home in St. James and gathered around the dinner table with members of the department showing support.

"You raised an exceptional family," he said he told her parents.

"For that reason, you will get through this time of tragedy, but that will be done together as the family that your parents created," Gordon said during the service. "As we were sitting at the table, David lamented that the pain will never go away, the sting will go away, but there will always be a scar, always."

Speaking outside the church, Gordon said the attendance of hundreds of fellow police officers demonstrated a "silent presence" of support for the family.

"They said that she was their second mother, because she was the oldest, and she really took care of all of the members of the family. They looked up to her as a mother and a sister," Gordon said. "As Catholics, our message of hope, is that death is not the end. We are changed but not ended. They are very faithful. We prayed together at their home when she died."

Deborah Palermo, 57, of Huntington, stood several feet away from the line of police and first responders in the church parking lot around 10:40 a.m., awaiting Espinosa’s family.

Palermo said she didn’t know Espinosa personally, but her late husband, Luis Palermo, worked for Nassau County Police Department’s Third Precinct for 23 years.

When he died in 2017 at 49 years old due to 9/11 related illnesses, she said the Hispanic Society showed up for her and her family, and described them as her “blue family.”

“They were there for me during my toughest season,” Palermo said. “Now I’m here for them.”