Joseph Desmond Suspect arrested in road-rage killing of FDNY firefighter

Joseph Desmond

Joseph Desmond has been identified by authorities as the man who killed a New York firefighter during a road-rage incident.



Desmond who was driving a silver Infinity –is said to have gotten into some kind of argument with Faizal Coto over the weekend. The two motorists had been driving east on the Belt Parkway at Bath Street and apparently the two cars collided while merging onto the highway.

They pulled over near Exit 4 to settle things down but next thing you know, Desmond allegedly hit Coto over the head with an unknown object before getting back into his silver Infiniti and taking off.

Coto’s body was found lying next to his damaged car on Sunday following a 911 call saying there had been a crash; however when police arrived the other driver was already gone. Coto was taken to Coney Island Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Joseph DesmondPin

The city’s medical examiner’s office ruled the death a homicide. Reports say he suffered puncture wounds that were not consistent with a car crash.

33-year-old Coto worked out of Engine 245 / Ladder 161 in south Brooklyn. He had been an FDNY firefighter for three years. According to CBS, Coto was also an aspiring rapper and hip hop artist performing under the name FAIYA.

Authorities had to track down the suspect; NYPD released a photo of him and asked police in North Jersey to be on the lookout for Joseph Desmond.

Desmond was ultimately arrested at the Circle Motor Lodge in South Amboy, NJ. So far police has stated, the car Desmond was driving belongs to a known gangbanger. 29-year-old Desmond is being held in New Jersey.