Not Guilty Pleas Entered in FL Firefighter's Murder

Two men charged with robbing an off-duty firefighter and then shooting him in the head over an iPhone pleaded not guilty Monday.

Jose Garcia Romero and Torrey Holston are charged with first-degree murder. The State Attorney’s Office must decide whether they will seek the death penalty. No decision had been made as of Monday, according to a spokeswoman.

Romero, Holston and another man robbed Coral Springs firefighter Christopher Randazzo, police say. They shot him dead when he wouldn’t give them the passcode for his smartphone, police say.

Randazzo, 39, was killed about 2:30 a.m. Oct. 19 in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. His body was found outside a hotel on El Mar Drive.

Hours earlier, they were involved in a shooting at a motel in Lantana, police say.

Holston and Romero are scheduled to be back in court Feb. 28.

The third man charged in the crime, Marco Rico, pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to murder. Rico, who was the driver of the car, will be sentenced by a judge April 16.

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