University of Miami

Broward Doctor Accused of Domestic Abuse for Second Time

A Broward County doctor has been arrested and is facing domestic battery charges for a second time, according to officials.

Dr. Rafael Azulay, from Weston, is facing battery charges, stemming from an incident on Sunday.

He's accused of punching his girlfriend in the face, and kicking her in the face and stomach after she fell to the floor.

According to an arrest report, the couple began to argue because Azulay wanted the victim's set of house keys.

The victim said she tried to get away from Azulay and hide in the home's cigar room but he dragged her away from the doorway, the report said.

When deputies arrived at the home at 3204 Islewood Ave., they said they found the victim with a red and swollen face and she was bleeding heavily.

Deputies said Azulay admitted to arguing with the victim, but said he never touched or hit her in any way.

Azulay told deputies that during the argument, she stormed out of the cigar room and tripped and fell in the doorway.

According to the arrest report, the couple has lived together for approximately a year.

Azulay was also arrested on Aug. 31, 2014 on similar charges.

According to the police report in that case, the mother of the alleged victim told deputies her daughter was "in trouble" and was being held against her will by her live-in boyfriend, Azulay.

When deputies went to Azulay's house, they found the girlfriend with a laceration under her eye and bruising on her back, neck, arms and legs, the report said.

The woman was visibly afraid and crying and said she wanted to get her belongings out of the house, the report said.

While state prosecutors argued that officers saw injuries on the victim's neck that would be consistent with strangulation, the judge found no probable cause to battery by strangulation charges or felony battery charges in the arrest report.

The judge reduced Azulay's bond from the state's recommendation of $10,000 per charge, to $6,000 total, and reduced the felony battery charges to misdemeanor battery charges. The judge also ordered Azulay have no contact with the victim.

Authorities later confirmed that the woman was kept at the home under duress between Aug. 28 and Aug. 31, 2014.

She was also found to have suffered an orbital fracture to the left side of her face, the report said.

According to the arrest report, Azulay wouldn't let the woman use her phone or leave to seek medical attention after he physically attacked her and instead reportedly gave the woman Percocet to subdue the pain she had suffered.

Azulay has been practicing medicine for more than 14 years, according to the Florida Board of Medicine.

His online biography states he trained at the University of Miami and sees patients at Memorial Hospital Pembroke and Memorial Hospital West in Miramar among others.

Contact Us