Edwin Velazquez waited in a jail cell for three years to clear his name after being accused of conspiring with his cousin to kill a man.But even after a jury acquitted him, the fight wasn't over.Velazquez lost his job with Atlantic City's Public Works Department while he was awaiting trial. When he came back, he was told he not only couldn't reclaim any of the three years' pay, but that he would lose the eight years of seniority he had earned.Despite having to start over, Velazquez has continued to work hard as an electrician for the city. On Tuesday, that work was honored by Mayor Marty Small and the department head as Velazquez became the first Employee of the Month.
The honor — complete with a luncheon, testimonial by the department head and a prime parking spot in the City Hall lot — is part of Mayor Marty Small's new incentive program to raise the morale of city employees."For a prosperous city we have to rebuild City Hall from the inside out," Small told BreakingAC. "We honor all the employees of the month, but this one in particular meant much more considering what he's been through."Deanna Velazquez said her husband was so happy he was crying when he called to tell her."My husband has been through so much and this just put a smile on his face and in his heart," she said.And it came at a time when it was needed, Edwin Velazquez said.Seven months after a jury cleared his name, Velazquez continues to try to regain all he lost.If a police officer or firefighter is charged with a crime, they are suspended without pay but can recoup their back pay and their status if cleared, he noted.But he was told he had to start again. During the three years he was gone, the union representation changed as well. So he has been pushing with both unions in trying to get some of that back. With nothing moving, frustration set in."He needed this little boost," Deanna Velazquez said.She said her husband has been working extra hard since returning.His director said at the ceremony that no matter when Edwin Velazquez is called, he responds — and quickly fixes the problem. "My father taught me, whatever you do, do to the best of your ability," he said. "I take that pride in everything I do."He also is grateful to be home."Those three years felt like 30 years to me," he said. "I could not have have been home at all. I try to do evenmoe because I had that second chance."He's also hoping Small is a second chance for Atlantic City."I don't want this story to just be about me," Velazquez said. "I think (Small is) doing a great job and I hope he's succeeding."It's because of his changing the way the city is which is why I was chosen," he added. "There's a change in the city and, out of that change, something else came out of it. I thank Marty for that."
Edwin Velazquez thought his fight was over April 22, when a jury acquitted him of any part in a 2015 murder. But while he won in criminal court, he came home to much loss. Now, he’s fighting to get his life back, starting with his job in Atlantic City’s Public Works Department. The state takeover has muddled that road...
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