Former Doctor Avoids Prison In Fatal Shooting Of Father, Strangling Of Girlfriend

A 47-year-old man in Weston, Florida, has been sentenced to community control probation after strangling his girlfriend and fatally shooting his father.

Former Weston doctor Rafael Azulay signed a plea bargain Friday after pleading no contest to charges of domestic battery by strangulation and homicide-manslaughter by culpable negligence, Miami Herald reported.

Azulay will be on probation until Feb. 17, 2034, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.

He will spend the next two years on house arrest with his mother, Dina Azulay, in a residence in Cooper City in Broward County, Florida. Property records showed that his sister Rina Azulay bought the home in December 2021.

Following house arrest, Azulay will spend an additional 10 years on probation, concurrent with the one year of probation for the domestic battery.

In addition, Azulay must surrender the medical license he got in 2003. The license is already "null and void" after he didn't renew his status for two renewal cycles, according to his Florida Department of Health profile. The state took no action to remove his license.

Azulay fatally shot his father, Asher Azulay, on May 12, 2018, while the former doctor was out on bond following a separate arrest involving his then-girlfriend.

Azulay also attempted and failed to take his own life by shooting himself in the head. He later shot himself in the stomach as police arrived.

In March 2018, Azulay was arrested on domestic violence charges, felony domestic violence battery-strangulation and misdemeanor battery after attacking and strangling his then-girlfriend. It was the third such arrest for violence against his girlfriend.

His now-ex-girlfriend told police she hadn’t cooperated after previous arrests against Azulay because he threatened to "bring her to her mother in a body bag" and had a gun, according to the arrest report on the battery.

"He also warned her he will never go back to jail and will take as many people down as [necessary] before going back to jail," the arrest report stated.

Following Azulay's probation sentence, the woman said she felt the Broward State Attorney's Office mishandled the case. "Had I known (the result), I wouldn't have testified. This is the reason many victims of domestic violence don't cooperate" with authorities," the ex-girlfriend said.

When asked about her thoughts now that Azulay is out, the woman told Miami Herald she is working on changing her name and moving out of the state.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.