Heartbroken mom of NJ teen who fatally jumped from NYC hotel recalls final words
The heartbroken mom of the New Jersey teen who plunged to his death from the top of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Manhattan said his final words to her were “I love you” and “I’ll see you tomorrow” — and that she will always remember his smile.
Judith Legaspi recalled the seemingly normal conversation she had with her son, 17-year-old aspiring fashion designer Noah Legaspi, before he jumped 750 feet from the top of the ritzy Columbus Circle hotel last week.
“He came to my room because all my children do that before I go to bed,” Legaspi, 52, told The Post on Thursday.
“He stops by my room and says, ‘Hey mom, how was work today?’ I said, ‘I’m okay. I’m just resting’ and he said, ‘Okay, good night, get some rest, I’ll see you tomorrow and I love you.'”
“He gave me a kiss and a hug. And that was the last thing…,” Legaspi trailed off, becoming choked up.
The grieving mother, a registered nurse who treats cancer patients, referred to her “beautiful boy” in the present tense, and listed his countless other interests — such as volleyball, skateboarding and walking the family dog — in addition to his dreams of becoming a fashion designer.
“He loves to play volleyball. He looks at TikTok and Instagram, or anything like that but he loves to be outside always, like walking the dog, going to the skate park and going to play volleyball. That’s all he loves to do. He’s a good boy,” she said.
Legaspi couldn’t say if her son, who took a taxi Aug. 16 from his ex-girlfriend’s house into Midtown and then FaceTimed the girl before taking the fatal plunge, was suffering from any mental health-related issues.
“I asked his friends. There’s no evidence or any showing or anything like that so I can’t really speak to it. We can’t really see it — why he did what he did,” she said, later adding, “Maybe in my dreams, he’ll say ‘Mommy, I’m sorry I did it but it’s not your fault. It’s no one’s fault.'”
The mom-of-three also said she hopes her son’s ex-girlfriend does not blame herself for his death.
“I want to keep her out of this and just focus on my son. I don’t want her to feel anything that she’s responsible for anything for my son is responsible for his action. I’ve always taught my children you make a decision you do it, you’re responsible for it, you take accountability for it,” Legaspi said.
Noah’s school has reached out to offer the family their condolences, his grieving mom said.
“They were comforting to us when they spoke to us,” she said. “He is loved so many, so many….I cannot believe how much others love him, you know.”
Legaspi said she named her son after Noah Wyle, who played Dr. John Truman Carter III on “ER” at the time of her pregnancy.
“I was obsessed with him… I said ‘Oh my God, this Noah is so handsome. If this is a boy, I’m going to name him Noah,’” she recalled while smiling and rubbing her stomach. “That’s actually the story……and I am a nurse.”
Funeral arrangements for the teen have not yet been finalized, but Legasi said the details will be shared on the Facebook page “Remembering Noah,” adding, “I want my Noah’s friends to know they can come and be with him for the last time.”
Before authorities broke the tragic news of Noah’s death to the family, a Facebook page was started in hopes of finding him.
It was converted to a remembrance page this week.
“I just want people to remember that my son is a beautiful boy and is,” Legaspi said.
“He will never grow old he’ll always just be 17.”
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.