Canadian diplomat’s teen son killed in shootout
Younger son faces murder charge in what Miami police call a drug dispute
MIAMI — Canada’s top government official in Miami is planning the funeral of her 17-year-old son and the legal defence of her 15year-old after the brothers took part in what Florida police call an attempted drug ripoff.
The brothers — both armed with guns — used her black Canadian government BMW with diplomatic plates as a lookout vehicle as they tried to rob the drug dealers Monday afternoon at an apartment complex in the Coral Way district, police say.
The brothers are the sons of Roxanne Dubé, who recently assumed the role of consul-general in Miami.
In the gunfire, the older brother — Jean Wabafiyebazu — and another man were shot and killed as roughly 10 shots were reportedly fired in a battle for one kilogram of marijuana worth about $5,000.
Now the younger brother, who is not named because he is a minor, is facing two charges of felony murder. He turned 15 just a few weeks ago. Under Florida law, anyone who participates in a violent felony in which someone dies — in this case, armed robbery — can face a murder charge.
Families of Canadian consular officials have no criminal immunity in a foreign country. A spokesperson from the state attorney’s office said that in Florida, the 15-year-old son could be tried as an adult, but that the prosecutor has not yet decided on a course of action.
In addition to the felony murder charges, the 15-year-old was also charged with uttering threats against an officer.
While being detained in the homicide unit of Miami police headquarters, the 15-year-old threatened to “kill Detective Garcia and shoot him in the head,” according to document provided by the State Attorney’s Office.
German Wabafiyebazu, the father of the Canadian teens, said his eldest son had struggled with substance abuse.
“I lost my son,” he said in a telephone interview from Ottawa. “He is a person.”
Wabafiyebazu said he and Dubé were divorced a few years ago.
“I am a man and I am not a crying person,” he said. “… I have water coming from my eyes. It is a very, very sad situation.”
One of the suspected drug dealers, Joshua Wright, was also killed.
A third man, Anthony Rodriguez, was wounded and drove off — he was later found at a nearby gas station. Rodriguez, 19, is charged with felony murder and marijuana possession with intent to sell.
Wabafiyebazu said he spoke by phone with his ex-wife. A former Fulbright scholar, Dubé has extensive diplomatic experience, having worked as an aide in Parliament and as the ambassador to Zimbabwe.
Wabafiyebazu said he’s wondering what lies ahead legally for his 15-year-old son, and also how to bury his other son.
He said his sons borrowed their mother’s car, which has diplomatic plates, telling her that they were just going for a drive, and that he heard the youngest boy rushed into the complex after hearing the gunshots.
The building’s entranceway was splattered with blood; the BMW was impounded.
“That’s what we believe, it was a dispute over a drug transaction,” Miami police Chief Rodolfo Llanes told the Miami Herald.