Canadian Diplomat Takes The Stand In Son's Defense
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The Canadian Consul General to Miami put her and her family's life on display in a Miami courtroom Friday as she asked a Miami-Dade judge to release her son on bond while he awaits trial on a charge of felony murder.
"He's a good boy," said Roxanne Dube. "He never had any behavior issue whatsoever."
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Marc Wabafiyebazu, the 15-year-old being charged as an adult with murder and other crimes on March 30th, appeared in court asking a Miami-Dade judge to release him on bail before his trial, which prosecutors oppose.
Dube promised to keep close tabs on him.
"I don't have many things," Dube said. "I don't have many belongings. But my life is a life of integrity, hard work, determination and obtaining whatever I did, through that. If I give you my word, I mean it."
Dube opened a window into her family's world and the events that led to the fateful day of March 30.
Police say surveillancevideo shows Marc's brother Jean exiting their mom's car with diplomatic plates last March at an apartment building on Coral Way. Investigators say Jean hoped to rip off a drug dealer and Jean and Joshua Wright shot and killed each other inside the apartment. Marc is accused of being part of a crime where someone was killed. Dube put the blame for Marc being there on Jean.
"He loved his older brother," Dube said. "He just was highly influenced by his older brother."
Dube said Jean had a run-in with Canadian police over drugs once before and she said a love of money drove her older son.
"I think if anything attracted him to the drug factor, it was more the trafficking of it," Dube said.
Dube admitted that she never saw any evidence of drug use and allowed her children freedoms. But she said Marc is a dedicated student with a learning disability and no mind for crime.
"All of the evidence we have before us will prove his innocence," she said.
However a Miami Police officer told the judge that Marc admitted the boys' role in the crime as the cop drove him to jail.
"That they've done this on numerous occasions and that it wasn't supposed to go like that and they were there to rob them of narcotics," said Officer Juan Velez.
Marc's attorneys say the video proves Marc's innocence -- showing that Marc seemed confused about what happened, stayed put and peacefully surrendered to police.
His mother feels regret over the entire episode.
"Since the incident, the horrible incident, that I regret every day of my life," she said. "I wish, I wish I could go back and undo this."
The judge in the case is expected to announce her decision on whether to release Marc Wabafiyabazu on Wednesday morning.
Dube testified on Friday saying she had no idea that her kids had guns or $2,800 ostensibly to buy drugs and she never saw drugs at her home.