Canadian diplomat’s son, 15, indicted in drug-deal robbery in which brother died
Man injured when boat, water scooter collide
The 15-year-old son of a high-level Canadian diplomat is now charged as an adult in connection with the Miami drug-deal robbery that left his older brother shot to death.
A Miami-Dade grand jury on Wednesday issued an indictment for first-degree felony murder against Marc Wabafiyebazu in a case closely followed in his native Canada.
Marc, who is being held in secure juvenile detention, will now be moved to an adult jail to await trial in Miami-Dade felony court. Also indicted on felony murder charges on Wednesday: suspected marijuana dealers Anthony Rodriguez, 19, and Johann Ruiz, 21. Both men had been previously arrested and posted bond.
Marc and his 17-year-old brother Jean are the sons of Roxanne Dubé, who became Canada’s consul general in Miami earlier this year. The boys had moved to Pinecrest with their mother, and had only been in the area about a month.
Under Florida law, anyone who commits certain felonies in which someone dies — in Marc’s case, an alleged attempted armed robbery — can be charged with felony murder. He also face charges of attempted felony murder.
“We going to be entering a plea of not guilty and defending the charges,” his defense attorney, Curt Obront, said..
Miami police say Marc and Jean set up the deal to pay $4,800 for two pounds of marijuana from a group of dealers at a Coral Way neighborhood apartment. But investigators believe they planned the whole time to rob the men of marijuana. They drove in their mother’s black BMW with diplomatic plates to the apartment.
According to police reports, gunfire erupted. Jean was killed, as was suspected 17-year-old drug dealer Joshua Wright, a former Coral Gables High student.
Investigators believe Marc was waiting outside when the shots rang out. According to the indictment, Jean and Wright shot each other, while one of Jean’s bullets hit Rodriguez in the left arm.
According to sources, police believe Marc rushed in, grabbed one of his brother’s two pistols and chased after Rodriguez, firing at him.
Rodriguez, whom police believe brought the marijuana to the deal, drove to a nearby gas station, where he was detained. Ruiz, a friend of Wright’s and the apartment tenant, was shot in the stomach and was arrested after a stay at Jackson Memorial Hospital.
Rodriguez and Ruiz were charged with third-degree felony murder for participating in the drug deal that led to Wright and Jean’s deaths. Because the men have been charged with a less serious crime, they have been allowed to post a bond while remaining on house arrest.
Ruiz’s attorney, Neil Taylor, has pleaded not guilty on his client’s behalf. He declined to comment, saying only: “Our sympathy go out to the multiple parents who suffered a loss of an egregious nature,” Taylor said.
Marc was initially charged with threatening a Miami homicide detective while at police headquarters. As he was being driven to the juvenile detention center, according to police, he “spontaneously” admitted to a transport officer that he and his brother had planned to steal the marijuana.
He also admitted that he and his brother had done robberies before in Canada, according to Marc’s arrest report.
A water scooter and a boat crashed Friday in the Intracoastal in Hallandale Beach, sending a man to the hospital, officials said.
The water scooter was jumping the boat’s wake about 4 p.m. and somehow ended up on the boat’s dive platform, injuring a 27-year-old man oin the scooter.
Officials names..
The boat brought the man ashore near 300 Three Islands Blvd., where he was met by rescue crews. He was conscious and alert when crews transported him to Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood, officials said.
released age, which he said was the same as hers.
Burke is being given a letter of reprimand for violating department policy. The cases of other individuals who looked into Williams’ information have not been finished yet. They are Felicia Ford and officers Wesley Taylor, Paul Saint Nicholas Williams, Stevens Gelu and Theonathan Wilson.
The data was accessed between 2011 and 2013 while Williams was with the department. The FDLE considers it a moral violation to access restricted information from an electronic database for “illegitimate or personal purposes with bad intent” and can lead to an officer’s suspension from duty. However, FDLE does not pursue cases involving the “misuse of a database for curiosity purposes only.” Lbarszewski@tribpub.com or 954-356-4556 one is safe before removing the target or speaking to the aggressor.
“We focus on jokes and name-calling,” Medina said. “That’s when you should stop it.”
Space of Mind executive director Ali Kaufman said all high school students will be accepted at the prom, gay or straight, alone or with a date, in fancy dress or jeans. Cost is $30 per person.
The party begins at 8 p.m. April 24 at Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton Ave. For more information, call Kaufman at 561-894-8772.
Lsolomon@tribpub.com
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