Son Accused Of Murdering Father, Now Community Mourns Loss Of 'Nice, Kindhearted' Man
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WESTON (CBSMiami) – Funeral services will be held Tuesday for the man deputies say was murdered by his doctor son in their upscale Weston neighborhood.
Dr. Rafael Azulay is accused of murdering his father Asher Azulay in what authorities say was a murder-suicide attempt.
At the South Florida Kosher Market in North Miami Beach where Asher worked, there is a memorial and a lot of mourning.
Yitzie Spalter hired Asher Azulay years ago to run the deli and said Asher was a dream employee and friend.
"Nice guy, kindhearted," Spalter said. "Whatever you wanted in an employee, a friend, he had it all."
Spalter said that is what makes what happened Saturday in Weston at the home of Dr. Azulay so hard to comprehend. The Broward Sheriff's Office says in an arrest report that Rafael asked his father to his home Saturday and then pulled out a gun.
"Asher Azulay attempted to have Rafael Azulay give him the handgun but Rafael Azulay told both (a person whose name is redacted in the arrest report) and Asher Azulay that he was going to kill both of them and then kill himself," the report states.
BSO says Rafael Azulay shot and killed his father and then shot himself more than once.
Rafael survived and is charged with murder.
Dr. Azulay was hospitalized in critical condition condition at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood.
Yitzie Spalter said Asher loved his son.
"They were madly in love with each other," Spalter said. "It was a beautiful son/father relationship. Nobody's able to figure out what happened."
Dr. Rafael Azulay is no stranger to violence. Court records show he has been arrested several times for domestic violence and currently faces a felony battery charge for beating up his girlfriend.
Inside his million dollar Weston home on Saturday investigators wrote in the arrest report "…on several locations inside the residence were found on the walls taped hand written letters which included 'do not resuscitate requests.'"
For friends of Asher Azulay, a man known for his big smile and generous personality, a death so violent doesn't make sense.
"He was the smile of the store," said co-worker Meir Marom. "Non-stop joking. If he see me now, he laugh at me."
Friends of Asher's have many questions and few answers about the accusations against his son.
"Usually time does heal but we don't know how we're going to get out of this," said Spalter.
Funeral services for Asher Azulay will be held on Tuesday.