Beloved Teacher Welcomes Fatherless Teen Into His Home, Doesn’t Realize He Made A Fatal Mistake

A teenager was arrested in connection to the Northwest Miami-Dade fatal shooting of a high school football coach.

According to Miami-Dade Police, they arrested 15-year-old Charles Alexander, a relative of the victim, Corey Smith. Smith was a teacher and football coach at Miami Senior High School.

Speaking to 7News, Alexander’s mother, Stephanie Braddy, said: “Charles has been a special needs child from birth. My child is a mentally ill child. He’s only 15. Mentally he’s around 8 or 9, like at some point respect that he is a child, a mentally disturbed child.

Don’t try to prosecute him before you even know the facts. Don’t sit here and be the judge, the jury, the prosecutor, and everything else. Help my child.”

Police stated that Smith had been found deceased in his home on Monday morning, and had suffered multiple gunshot wounds. According to investigators, Alexander had been the only other person in the home at the time of the shooting. The arrest report stated that the teen told his mother on Wednesday that he’d committed the crime.

“Corey was a great mentor to Charles. He was trying to help Charles. A lot of people were trying to help Charles,” Braddy said, “because we all knew there’s a problem there with Charles.” Braddy added: “He lost his dad Dec. 5th. His birthday is Dec. 5th. It’s trauma there.”

Alexander, who’s charged with second-degree murder and grand theft, appeared before a judge on Friday morning. He was ordered to remain in secure detention for 21 days.

His attorney asked for a psychological evaluation.

It is unclear whether he will be tried as a juvenile or adult, and he’s scheduled to appear in court on October 15.

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