Canadian diplomat's teenage son charged with murder in Miami
MIAMI - The teenage son of a Canadian diplomat was charged Wednesday in South Florida with murder and attempted murder for his role in what investigators called a bloody drug-related shooting that killed his older brother and another teen.
A Miami-Dade County grand jury indicted 15-year-old Marc Wabafiyebazu on first-degree felony murder charges, as an adult. Wabafiyebazu is the son of Roxanne Dube, a veteran diplomat who is Canada's consul general in Miami.
The boy's brother, 17-year-old Jean Wabafiyebazu, was killed in the March 30 shootout over a marijuana deal, investigators said. Another teenager, 17-year-old Joshua Wright, was also slain. The indictment returned Wednesday charges that Wright and Jean Wabafiyebazu shot each other.
Marc Wabafiyebazu's attorney, Curt Obront, said his client will plead not guilty.
"We have confidence in the criminal justice system and look forward to moving forward through judicial process," Obront said.
The grand jury also indicted two other young men involved in the alleged drug deal on felony murder charges: Anthony Rodriguez, 19, and 21-year-old Johann Ruiz. Under Florida law, all suspects involved in committing a crime can be charged with murder if it leads to a killing.
Marc Wabafiyebazu is also charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting at Rodriguez as well as with attempted armed robbery and illegal possession of a firearm by a minor. Rodriguez was wounded in the arm, but the indictment says he was actually shot by Jean Wabafiyebazu.
Ruiz was also wounded, but it's not clear who shot him.
The drug deal gone bad happened only a few weeks after the brothers had relocated from their father's home in Ottawa, Canada, to South Florida to live with their mother. They went to the drug meeting at a Miami apartment in their mother's personal car, which carries diplomatic license plates - but authorities say Marc Wabafiyebazu is not protected by diplomatic immunity.
Police say Rodriguez brought about two pounds of marijuana to the meeting, which erupted in gunfire shortly after negotiations began. Investigators say the Wabafiyebazu brothers intended all along to rob the drug dealers of cash and drugs.
The indictment does not say where the brothers obtained weapons.