The estranged husband of a still-missing Miramar woman was being held in Broward County's Main Jail Thursday on a charge of first-degree murder.
Miramar Police say Cid Torrez, 39, is being held for the murder of his wife, Vilet Patricia Torrez.
The 38-year-old mother of three was last seen in person by a friend on March 30 but her estranged husband did not report her missing until April 2, police said.
In his 911 call, Cid Torrez claimed he unsuccessfully tried to find his wife.
He later told detectives he thought she had gone to work and said he had tried phoning his wife, but there was no answer and her voice mailbox was full, his attorney Richard Della Fera said at the time.
Cid Torrez was at his parents' home in Miami Lakes with his children when arrested at 8 p.m. Wednesday, police spokeswoman Tania Rues said.
There was no single breakthrough in the case that prompted the arrest, she said.
"We were collecting a variety of pieces to the puzzle throughout the seven months," Rues said. "We finally reached the point where we had enough of those pieces to be able to arrest him."
Vilet Torrez was last seen alive in a surveillance video driving a minivan through the visitor's gate of the Harbour Lake Townhomes at 5:17 a.m. on March 31. Her husband was inside their home on Southwest 28th Court with their children, investigators said.
Cell phone records show Vilet Torrez made two calls to Cid Torrez at 5:19 a.m. but he has denied receiving them. She was never heard from again.
Detectives found her minivan outside the Torrez home and took it to process for possible evidence.
Police divers searched surrounding canals and lakes for months but found nothing.
Vilet's siblings Nayiva and Javier Blanco launched Twitter and Facebook pages and appeared on numerous newscasts to raise awareness about their sister's case.
Each of the Torrez children has had a birthday since their mother, a marketer for a bath renovation firm in Doral, went missing.
Investigators had called Cid Torrez a "person of interest" in the case but he had not been charged with any offense before Wednesday.
On April 6, the children were temporarily placed with their maternal grandmother.
Cid Torrez regained custody of the children about a month later after the Florida Attorney General's office dismissed its case.
The three children were reported to be back with their mother's family following the arrest of their father.
Vilet's sister Nayiva Blanco said the family was hoping now to have a happier Thanksgiving with some of the uncertainty behind them.
Investigators are urging anyone with information about this case or the whereabouts of Vilet Torrez to contact Miramar Police at 954-602-4000.
Staff writer Linda Trischitta contributed to this story.
wkroustan@tribune.com or 954-356-4303
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