Man accused of killing son-in-law gets bail

A 73-year-old accused of killing his son-in-law was released Wednesday from custody.

Roberto Robles is facing a second-degree murder charge in the death his son-in-law, Armando Cosmea-Aspillaga, 38.

Cosmea-Aspillaga was found dead June 17 in the Riverbend home he jointly owned with his wife, Flavia Robles, by Edmonton police officers who were responding to a report of a domestic dispute at the residence near Whitemud Road and 53 Avenue.

Though he and his wife were divorcing, Cosmea-Aspillaga still lived at the house where he was killed, his cousin Leslie Aspillaga said in a Facebook message in June.

Aspillaga said her cousin and Flavia have a young daughter together and they had difficulty agreeing on custody.

In addition to the second-degree murder charge, Robles is also charged with two counts of possessing an offensive weapon. Police have not identified the weapon or weapons involved.

On Wednesday, Robles appeared in court for a bail hearing, where both the Crown and his own lawyer agreed he should be released.

As he was led into the courtroom, Robles gasped and reached out an arm toward his family members who were seated in the gallery. Seated in the prisoner’s box and wearing an orange jumpsuit, he wept as he waited for his hearing to begin.

As conditions for his release, Robles has been ordered to turn in his passport and reside at his home with his wife. He will be required to meet regularly with a parole officer and is prohibited from possessing weapons. He will be allowed to see and care for his granddaughter in the presence of either his wife or Flavia.

Cosmea-Aspillaga’s longtime friend, Jensy Menendez, covered her mouth and cried during the proceedings.

Menendez learned about the bail hearing just hours before it began, saying she had to leave work to make it on time. She said she managed to reach Cosmea-Aspillaga’s mother in Cuba 20 minutes before the hearing started to tell her it was happening. She said she was planning to contact her again to let her know about Robles’ release.

“It’s going to be a big disappointment for her,” Menendez said.

A publication ban prevents details of the bail hearing from being reported.

Menendez said it has been a struggle to get information about the investigation and the court proceedings to relay to her friend’s family in Cuba.

Cosmea-Aspillaga’s mother came to Canada after her son’s death and only returned to Cuba last week. She took her son’s ashes home with her, where Menendez said a ceremony was held at a Catholic church to honour his memory.

Menendez said her friend’s mother and sister want to return to Canada for the preliminary hearing in mid-August, but it has been difficult for them to get confirmation that the proceedings are going ahead. It’s complicated by the high cost of travel between Canada and Cuba, and the requirement for the sister to obtain the visa required to enter Canada.