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Witness Says One Defendant Shot Firefighter and Pair Gloated After Stealing His Phone and Sneakers

The witness's account is central to the prosecution's effort to show the killing was intentional, potentially swaying jurors.

Overview

  • A witness, Cheyenne Papach, testified Tuesday that Torrey Holston fired the gun that killed off‑duty firefighter Christopher Randazzo and that Holston and Jose Garcia Romero boasted about the killing.
  • Prosecutors say Randazzo was found face down outside a Lauderdale‑by‑the‑Sea resort on Oct. 19, 2019, stripped of his red Nike sneakers, an iPhone, wallet and car keys.
  • Both defendants are charged with first‑degree murder, robbery with a deadly weapon and criminal conspiracy and face life in prison without parole if convicted.
  • Papach said the group returned to the scene to try to unlock the stolen phone and that she had been with Marco Rico, who pleaded guilty in 2020 to accessory after the fact and conspiracy in the case.
  • The trial is ongoing and prosecutors are treating Papach's testimony as a key update that may tighten their timeline and narrative for jurors as cross‑examination and further evidence proceed.