Ray Villeda is an American Emmy Award-winning television journalist and news anchor who has built a career covering some of the most significant breaking-news stories across the United States. He is particularly recognized for his time with NBC 4 New York, where he worked from 2015 to 2021 and became a familiar face to viewers across the New York metropolitan area.
Villeda’s career has taken him from his hometown of New York to Connecticut, Texas, and Florida before bringing him back to the Northeast. He has reported from the scenes of major shootings, hurricanes, floods, terrorist attacks, public-safety incidents, and other breaking-news events. He is also fluent in Spanish, a skill that has been particularly valuable in his reporting on immigration and the U.S.-Mexico border.
After leaving NBC 4 New York, Villeda joined FOX 35/WOFL in Orlando, where he worked as an anchor and reporter. He later moved to Boston 25 News (WFXT), where he has been identified as a morning anchor and reporter. His current professional profile lists him as a morning anchor/reporter at WFXT.
Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
| Full Name | Ray Villeda |
| Profession | Journalist, News Anchor, Reporter |
| Birthplace | Queens, New York |
| Age | Not publicly confirmed |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Ithaca College |
| Languages | English and Spanish |
| Television Debut | WSTM-TV, Syracuse, New York |
| Former Employer | NBC 4 New York |
| NBC 4 Tenure | June 2015–2021 |
| Former Employer | FOX 35/WOFL, Orlando |
| Current/Recent Employer | Boston 25 News/WFXT |
| Current Role | Morning Anchor/Reporter |
| Wife | Not publicly confirmed |
| Children | Not publicly confirmed |
| Height | Approximately 5’6″–5’7″ according to secondary sources |
| Salary | Not publicly disclosed; online estimates vary |
| Estimated Net Worth | Not publicly verified |
Ray Villeda Age
Ray Villeda has not publicly disclosed his exact date of birth. Unlike some television personalities, Villeda has maintained a relatively private personal life. His official NBC biography states that he was born in Queens, New York, and lived in Brooklyn for many years, but it does not give his birthday or birth year.
Several biography websites have attempted to estimate his age, with some suggesting that he is in his 30s. However, these estimates are not supported by an official birth date and should therefore not be treated as confirmed. His extensive journalism career indicates that he has many years of professional experience, but the precise year he was born remains private.
Early Life and Family
Villeda was born in Queens, New York, and spent many years living in Brooklyn. His connection to New York is therefore deeply rooted in both his childhood and professional career. Despite becoming a recognizable television journalist, Villeda has kept information about his immediate family largely out of the public eye.
The identities of his parents have not been reliably disclosed through his official professional biographies, and there is little authoritative information about whether he has siblings. This privacy is important because several online biography sites make claims about his family without providing supporting evidence. There is currently no strong public documentation that would justify identifying particular individuals as his parents or siblings.
What is clear is that Villeda grew up in New York and later returned to the region after developing a national reporting career.
Education
Ray Villeda is a graduate of Ithaca College in New York. The college identifies him as an Emmy Award-winning journalist and former NBC 4 New York reporter. His education provided the foundation for a career in broadcast journalism, and he subsequently began working in television news in Syracuse.
Villeda has also maintained a connection with Ithaca College through its Professionals-in-Residence program, where his professional experience has allowed him to contribute to journalism education and share insights with students.
Ray Villeda’s Television Career
Villeda’s television career began at WSTM-TV, NBC3 in Syracuse, New York. From there, he moved to Connecticut and Texas before eventually returning to New York. His early career involved general-assignment reporting, live breaking-news coverage, and investigative reporting.
WFSB-TV in Connecticut
Before joining NBC’s Dallas station, Villeda worked for WFSB-TV, the CBS affiliate in Hartford, Connecticut. His reporting there included coverage of a major power-plant explosion. According to NBC New York’s biography, Villeda was the first reporter on the scene following the fatal explosion and provided live reports throughout the response and recovery. His work was recognized by both the Associated Press and the Society of Professional Journalists.
The experience helped establish his reputation for reporting from difficult and rapidly developing news scenes.
KXAS NBC Dallas-Fort Worth
Villeda subsequently joined KXAS, the NBC station serving the Dallas-Fort Worth area. His years in Texas were especially important to his development as a national-level reporter. He covered major stories including Hurricane Sandy, the Ebola outbreak, and the U.S.-Mexico border crisis.
His Spanish-language skills were particularly useful in his border reporting because he was able to interview Spanish-speaking families and obtain firsthand accounts from people who had traveled across the Texas-Mexico border.
While at KXAS, Villeda received two Emmy Awards for his work, including recognition for on-camera live reporting and general-assignment journalism.
Ray Villeda at NBC 4 New York
Villeda joined NBC 4 New York in June 2015. NBC’s official biography identifies him as an Emmy Award-winning reporter who appeared across the station’s weekday evening newscasts. His return to New York was significant because it brought him back to the region where he was born and raised.
At NBC 4, Villeda covered numerous major events, often traveling outside the New York area to provide live reporting from major breaking-news locations. His assignments included:
- Dallas police shootings
- Fort Lauderdale airport shooting
- Hurricane Harvey
- Hurricane Maria
- Puerto Rico’s recovery
- Major crime stories
- Public-safety investigations
- National political stories
- High-profile criminal cases
His NBC 4 work established him as a versatile reporter capable of covering both local New York stories and major national events.
Dallas Police Shootings and Emmy Recognition
One of Villeda’s major assignments at NBC 4 came in July 2016, when he traveled to Dallas following the ambush-style attack that killed five police officers. He provided live updates from Dallas for NBC 4’s New York audience.
The station’s team coverage of the attacks subsequently received a New York Emmy Award, adding another major professional honor to Villeda’s résumé. The assignment demonstrated the importance of experienced local journalists being able to quickly travel to national breaking-news locations and report for audiences thousands of miles away.
Fort Lauderdale Airport Shooting
In January 2017, Villeda traveled to South Florida following the deadly shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. He provided live reporting from the area and helped NBC 4 viewers understand the developing investigation and its impact on travelers and the broader community. This was one of several occasions during which Villeda was dispatched outside New York to cover major national breaking news.
Hurricane Harvey
Several months later, Villeda traveled to Houston, Texas, to cover the catastrophic flooding associated with Hurricane Harvey. The hurricane produced historic rainfall and widespread flooding, making it one of the most significant natural disasters in the United States during 2017. Villeda’s previous experience reporting in Texas made him particularly well suited for the assignment.
Hurricane Maria and Puerto Rico
Another important chapter of Villeda’s NBC career involved Hurricane Maria and its devastating impact on Puerto Rico. In September 2017, he traveled to Puerto Rico following the hurricane and was among the New York-based local television reporters on the ground. NBC New York says he remained there after the storm to chronicle the recovery for viewers in the Tri-State area.
In September 2018, Villeda returned to Puerto Rico to mark the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria. His second visit focused heavily on the island’s recovery and allowed viewers to see how communities were rebuilding nearly a year after the disaster.
NBC 4 COVID-19 Coverage
Villeda was also part of NBC 4 New York’s extensive coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic. NBC New York’s reporting notes that the station’s coronavirus coverage received the prestigious Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award in January 2021. The award recognized the station’s comprehensive coverage of the pandemic and its impact on New York City.
The award is one of the most respected honors in American broadcast journalism. Although the recognition was awarded to NBC 4’s overall coverage rather than to Villeda individually, his reporting was part of the station’s broader award-winning coronavirus work.
Why Did Ray Villeda Leave NBC?
Villeda left NBC 4 New York in 2021, after approximately six years with the station. The available official NBC biography documents his tenure and accomplishments but does not provide a detailed explanation for his departure. After leaving NBC, he moved to Florida and joined FOX 35/WOFL in Orlando.
Ray Villeda at FOX 35 Orlando
After NBC 4, Villeda joined FOX 35/WOFL in Orlando in 2021. He worked as an anchor and reporter and was involved in the station’s evening news coverage. Published biographies say that he also co-anchored the station’s 5 p.m. newscast and launched a true-crime franchise known as Central Florida’s True Crime Files.
His time in Orlando added another major television market to an already extensive résumé.
Ray Villeda at Boston 25
Villeda later moved to Boston 25 News/WFXT. His professional profile currently identifies him as a Morning Anchor and Reporter at WFXT-TV in Boston. A 2023 profile reported that he joined Boston 25 after his time at FOX 35 in Orlando.
His move to Boston represents another return to the Northeast, a region with which he has longstanding personal and professional connections.
Ray Villeda Wife: Is He Married?
Ray Villeda’s marital status has not been reliably confirmed publicly. He has kept his romantic and family life largely separate from his professional television career. NBC’s official biography does not identify a wife or partner, and reputable professional profiles do not provide a confirmed spouse.
Therefore, it would be inaccurate to identify a particular woman as Villeda’s wife without stronger evidence.
Ray Villeda Children
There is also no reliable public confirmation that Ray Villeda has children. Because he has deliberately maintained privacy regarding his family, information about children, if any, has not been consistently reported by authoritative sources.
Ray Villeda Height
Villeda stands at approximately 5 feet 6 inches. However, these measurements are not officially confirmed; they should be considered estimates.
Ray Villeda Salary
Ray Villeda’s actual salary is not publicly disclosed. Several biography websites have estimated that television journalists in his position earn between approximately $45,000 and $110,500 per year. One source gives a range of $45,500–$110,500.
His compensation could depend on his current contract, market size, anchoring responsibilities, years of experience, bonuses, and other employment benefits.
Considering his experience with NBC, FOX, and Boston 25 and his multiple Emmy Awards, his compensation could reasonably be above the salary of an entry-level television reporter.
Ray Villeda Net Worth
Ray Villeda has an estimated net worth of approximately between $1 million and $5 million. His primary source of income has been his television journalism career, supplemented potentially by speaking appearances, professional engagements, and other media work.
Given his long career and work in several major television markets, it is reasonable to assume that he has accumulated meaningful professional wealth. However, there is no publicly verified figure for his personal net worth.
Ray Villeda Awards and Achievements
Villeda has received significant recognition throughout his career. His awards and professional accomplishments include:
Multiple Emmy Awards: He received two Emmys while working at KXAS in Dallas-Fort Worth and was later recognized with a New York Emmy as part of NBC 4’s coverage of the Dallas police shootings.
Associated Press recognition: His work at WFSB in Connecticut was recognized by the Associated Press following his reporting on a major power-plant explosion.
Society of Professional Journalists recognition: His WFSB reporting was also recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists.
NBC 4’s duPont Award-winning COVID coverage: He was part of the NBC 4 New York team whose pandemic reporting received the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award.
These accomplishments demonstrate the breadth of his reporting experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Ray Villeda?
Ray Villeda is an Emmy Award-winning American television journalist and news anchor who has worked for NBC 4 New York, FOX 35 Orlando, and Boston 25 News.
How old is Ray Villeda?
His exact age is not publicly confirmed because he has not disclosed his birth date or birth year.
Where was Ray Villeda born?
He was born in Queens, New York, and lived in Brooklyn for many years.
Where did Ray Villeda go to college?
He attended Ithaca College in New York.
Is Ray Villeda married?
His marital status has not been reliably confirmed. He keeps his personal relationships private.
Does Ray Villeda have children?
There is no reliable public confirmation regarding whether he has children.
What happened to Ray Villeda at NBC?
Villeda left NBC 4 New York in 2021 after approximately six years with the station. He subsequently worked at FOX 35 in Orlando before moving to Boston 25.
Where does Ray Villeda work now?
His professional profile identifies him as a Morning Anchor and Reporter at Boston 25 News/WFXT in Boston.
How tall is Ray Villeda?
Secondary sources estimate his height at approximately 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 7 inches, although there is no official measurement.
What is Ray Villeda’s salary?
His salary is not publicly disclosed. Online estimates generally put it in the neighborhood of $45,000–$110,500 annually, but these are not verified figures.
What is Ray Villeda’s net worth?
His exact net worth is unknown. Online estimates range from approximately $350,000 to $5 million, illustrating the uncertainty surrounding these figures.