DAVENPORT, Fla. — A Central Florida family is receiving a mortgage-free home in honor of a retired NYPD sergeant who died from cancer linked to his work at Ground Zero following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation announced Thursday that it has paid off the mortgage on the Davenport home of Abraham Cruz III’s family as the nation marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
Cruz joined the New York Police Department in 2000 and responded to Ground Zero after the attacks, assisting with rescue and recovery efforts.
He went on to serve 20 years with the NYPD, becoming a detective in 2008 and a sergeant in 2014. Cruz retired from the 106th Precinct Detective Squad in October 2020 and later moved to Florida with his family.
He died Feb. 2, 2025, from cancer attributed to his work at Ground Zero, according to Tunnel to Towers. He was 47.
‘There is no worry about having to pay off the mortgage’
For Cruz’s wife, Melissa, the mortgage payoff provides financial security for her and their three daughters.
“My husband loved this home, and having it paid off is amazing,” Melissa Cruz said. “There are no words to explain the feeling of peace knowing there is no worry about having to pay off the mortgage.”
The Cruz family is one of 55 families nationwide receiving mortgage-free homes Thursday through the foundation’s Fallen First Responder Home Program.
Tunnel to Towers Chairman and CEO Frank Siller said Cruz’s service after the attacks ultimately cost him his life.
“Sergeant Abraham Cruz lost his life because of 9/11, because he spent hour after hour at Ground Zero on the pile trying to bring closure to families like mine,” Siller said.
Support extends to Cruz’s daughters
The foundation said Cruz’s children are also eligible for full scholarships toward undergraduate degrees or accredited trade school programs through its Mae & George Siller Scholarship Program.
Melissa Cruz said two of the couple’s daughters are currently in college.
“This is truly amazing,” she said. “Having two in college right now and one in the future and having some of the financial burden being taken care of is a blessing.”
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation was created in the aftermath of 9/11 and provides mortgage-free homes and other assistance to families of fallen first responders, Gold Star families and catastrophically injured veterans and first responders.
Learn more about the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
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