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Dave Madrigal, 59, a Detroit firefighter for 26 yeas, was found beaten to death at his home on the city's west side Monday. Known for his volunteer work, Madrigal's co-workers called him "Super Dave."

(File Photo | MLive)

DETROIT - Court testimony from a pair of police officers on Wednesday revealed grisly details in the December 2015 killing of Detroit firefighter David Madrigal.

Timmy Lynn Soto, 32, of Detroit, hit 59-year-old Madrigal twice in the head with a gym weight plate as he slept inside his home on the city's west side, killing him, police Sgt. Lance Sullivan said Wednesday in during a preliminary examination.

Sullivan read, verbatim, a transcript of a March 10 interrogation of Soto, in which he admitted to murdering Madrigal with the weight plate and then stealing the man's safe, guns and SUV, which was later set on fire in an alley on the city's southwest side.

According to the testimony, Madrigal invited Soto over to drink on Dec. 19. Soto told police in the March 10 interrogation that he was with co-defendants Nicole O'Neill, 33, of Detroit, and Christian Rasnick, 19, of Trenton.

The trio faces charges of felony murder, armed robbery, arson and larceny.

Soto told police Madrigal was "hitting on" O'Neill, which upset him. Soto left the house with O'Neill at one point to get drugs, according to Wednesday's testimony. Soto told police that seeing Madrigal touch O'Neill caused him to have "flashbacks" to witnessing sexual abuse in the past, and it "made me snap."

When Soto returned from the drug run, Madrigal was dozing off in a chair. Soto picked up a weight plate that was inside of the home, and struck Madrigal twice in the head, killing him, according to Wednesday's testimony.

The trio then took Madrigal's SUV, and a safe, which contained $1,500 and two guns. Soto drove the vehicle around for a while with Rasnick, took the stolen safe to a friend's basement where they opened it, split the cash, and then torched the truck in southwest Detroit, where it was later extinguished by Detroit firefighters.

Madrigal was a firefighter in Detroit for 26 years. He was known as "Super Dave," and was two months away from retirement.

In testimony from a homicide detective with the Detroit Police Department a separate March 10 interrogation of Rasnick was read in court.

Rasnick told police he, Soto and O'Neill went to Madrigal's with the intention of robbing him Dec. 19. He did not know Soto would kill Madrigal.

According to the court testimony, Soto told Rasnick to "knock (Madrigal) out" as Madrigal dozed off in his chair. Rasnick refused because he didn't want to attack a sleeping man.

Rasnick also said in the interrogation that Soto hit Madrigal in the head with a gym weight.

He said, too, that Soto on the drive over to Madrigal's said O'Neill would flirt with Madrigal, he would fall asleep, and then they would rob him.

Soto later decided he couldn't get away with the robbery, because Madrigal knew him too well.

Rasnick's lawyer questioned the detective. She asked the officer if he told Rasnick he wouldn't be arrested for murder. Rasnick's lawyer also objected to Soto's statements being used in the case against Rasnick.

The preliminary examination was adjourned and is scheduled to continue at 9 a.m., May 13.

A judge will ultimately decide if the defendants will be sent to trial after the remaining testimony is heard.

Ian Thibodeau is the business and development reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. He can be reached at ithibode@mlive.com, or follow him on Twitter.