Man accused of killing witness

Jonathan Rico charged with killing Rafael Villafane-Rivera

Booking photo of Jonathan Rico.

MIAMI – Hialeah police arrested a 23-year-old man accused of killing a witness in a criminal case in Broward County.

Police charged Jonathan Rico with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and tampering with victim/witness.

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According to an arrest affidavit, Rico killed Rafael Villafane-Rivera, a witness in the murder case of Ysrael Granda.

Granda is the brother of Wilber Granda and the father of the child of Lisania Quintero, two co-defendants in Rico's case.

Quintero visited Villafane-Rivera on Nov. 11, 2012 at the Towne-Place Suites in Miami Lakes. The two were dating, said police.

While at the room, Quintero left a window open, which Rico used three days later to get inside the room, according to the arrest affidavit.

Rico shot and killed Villafane-Rivera when he arrived that morning.

Police arrested Rico on Feb. 4 on unrelated charges. He denied being at the Towne-Place Suite when the murder happened, but investigators found his DNA on a flashlight inside the room, then filed the new charges on Tuesday.