Victim’s mother travels from Brazil for hearing
Pair are on trial in Winter Park High student’s ’16 death
Adriana Thomé fights back tears as one of two teens charged in the death of her son, Roger Trindade, testifies in court Thursday. Roger, 15, a Winter Park High School student, died last October.
A judge on Thursday denied a “stand your ground” self-defense motion for the two teenagers accused of killing Roger Trindade, a Winter Park High School student, last October.
Judge Sally Kest said there was no evidence Roger, 15, was aggressive with them.
“These two individuals initiated the only fight that happened,” she said.
The two boys, who were 15 at the time, are charged with manslaughter in the death of Roger, a 15-year-old International Baccalaureate program student who moved to Florida from Brazil in January 2016.
One of the co-defendants testified Thursday, as did a boy who was 14 at the time — who pleaded no contest to charges of battery and witness tampering in connection with the case.
The Orlando Sentinel is not identifying the teenagers because they are minors.
Roger’s mother, Adriana Thomé, came from Brazil to Orlando for the hearing and fought back tears in the first row of the courtroom. She and her husband returned to their native country after their son’s death. “I will spend all my life, all my days, missing my boy,” she said.
Testimony on Thursday by the boys accused of the crime revealed far more details than were previously publicly known about the case.
A friend of the 14-year-old — a teen who wasn’t arrested — brought a foul-smelling spray to Park Avenue. They spent about half an hour spraying the liquid around and under people’s chairs, the 14-year-old testified. Then they saw Roger and his friend. They didn’t know them, the 14-year-old said, but his friend decided to prank them.
The spray’s owner walked over to Roger and his friend, who were sitting by the Central Park fountain, the 14-year-old said. “Would you like to try my cologne?” he said, spraying the stench on Roger, according to the 14-year-old.
The spray’s owner took off running, with the 14-year-old behind him on a skateboard. Roger and his friend followed. They weren’t trying to hit them or shouting threats or saying anything, but the 14-year-old said he was concerned.
He called his friend and said the two guys were trying to “jump” him, he said Thursday.
“I did not expect a bunch of my friends to come,” the 14year-old said. “I didn’t know that he was with a bunch of