NEW ORLEANS — The City of New Orleans today confirmed the removal by a recovery team of the remains of Jose Ponce Arreola, who was killed in the collapse of the Hard Rock project last October.
“We are grateful to finally have some measure of closure for both families, who had to experience an intolerable delay. Late today, Chief Tim McConnell and I witnessed a private service honoring Jose’s remains in the presence of his family. It is a terrible relief to begin finally bringing this process to an end,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “The safe and respectful removal of our people has been a top priority throughout, and I am grateful to God that this day has finally come. Moving forward, we will continue to hold ownership accountable, at every level. No one wanted it to be this way, but we are grateful to the recovery team for finally getting us to this point.”
“Recovery of the remains of Mr. Arreola was completed shortly before 4 p.m. today by the New Orleans Fire Department and Louisiana Task Force 1, led by Capt. Danny Simon of the New Orleans Fire Department,” said NOFD Superintendent Tim McConnell. “I want to commend the vigilance and dedication of our team to complete this work with safety, respect and diligence as their guiding principles, and to assure the public we will continue to provide the necessary support moving forward.”