Perth Amboy mourns death of fire chief
Cheryl Makin
UPDATE: The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office said Monday that Fire Chief Abraham Pitre's death is not considered suspicious.
PERTH AMBOY – The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office is investigating the death Saturday of Fire Chief Abraham Pitre, said Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz in a statement early Sunday morning.
Diaz called the 44-year-old Pitre's death "sudden" and that the "circumstances of the incident remain under investigation by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office." Additional information is not available at this time.
“We ask that you keep Abraham Pitre’s loved ones and co-workers in your thoughts and prayers as we mourn this devastating loss,” Diaz said.
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Pitre, who was the city's first Hispanic fire chief, was sworn in as in 2014, after being named acting chief in 2013. He spent 24 years in the department. Prior to that, Pitre was a member of the First Aid Squad and the Volunteer Fire Department.
He lived in the city with his wife and three children.
The Facebook page for the Perth Amboy Fire Department posted a message about Pitre's death Sunday morning.
"As you may be aware we suffered a huge loss yesterday, with the untimely passing of our Chief Abraham Pitre. We will honor his memory by continuing to uphold our solemn oath to serve and protect, remembering those that lay the path to our future. May you rest in peace Chief. Know the love, respect & loyalty we have for you. We ask everyone to lift up Chief Pitre & his family in prayer as we grieve together through this difficult time."
Also on Saturday, there was a report of a shooting on Chamberlain Avenue in the city. The victim had a gunshot wound to the head, possibly self-inflicted, an online news reporting service said. No further information was available.
Staff Writer Cheryl Makin: 732-565-7256; cmakin@mycentraljersey.com