NJ Man in Miami to Face Murder Charges in Killing of Ex-Cop

Suspect in court for murder of retired Miami PD Captain Robert Yee

By Brian Hamacher
|  Friday, Jul 30, 2010  |  Updated 10:19 AM EST
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NJ Man in Miami to Face Murder Charges in Killing of Ex-Cop

Miami Police

Retired Miami Police Captain Robert Yee, and the man accused of his murder, Rafael Toirac-Aguilera.

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A year after former Miami Police captain Robert Yee was found murdered at a local marina, the man accused of gunning him down is in police custody in Miami-Dade.

Rafael Toirac-Aguilera, 33, made a brief court appearance Thursday morning after he was indicted Wednesday on first-degree murder charges.

Toirac-Aguilera was extradicted from New Jersey Wednesday and is in custody at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Toirac-Aguilera is accused of the execution-style murder of Yee on July 10, 2009, at the Hurricane Cove Marina.

Retired after 25 years on the force, Yee, 61, was working as a security guard at the Marina at 1884 NW North River Drive.

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He was found with multiple gun shot wounds to the back of his head and died a short time later at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

In February, it was revealed that a New Jersey man suspected in the Yee murder had been arrested on unrelated charges on a sealed Grand Jury Indictment from Miami-Dade.

An arrest warrant released Thursday said Toirac-Aguilera became a suspect when his DNA and a fingerprint were recovered from an orange juice bottle left at the scene of the murder.

Police believe the orange juice bottle was used as a makeshift silencer on the weapon that killed Yee.

Additionally, Toirac-Aguilera's girlfriend told police they the two had driven from New Jersey to Miami to visit friends in a silver Toyota Corolla in July 2009, and that Toirac-Aguilera was gone for hours on the day of the Yee murder.

When detectives questioned Toirac-Aguilera about where he was on July 10, he said he was in New Jersey working at a body shop.

Police said Yee's killer left the marina in a Silver Corolla. 

Posted Thursday, Jul 29, 2010 - 7:03 AM EST
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