Mother calls son's fatal stabbing 'greatest loss' of her life

Jamarie Toombs accused of killing roommate Alexander Trotman

DAVIE, Fla. ā€“ The mother of a 20-year-old man whom police said was fatally stabbed by his roommate in Davie spoke to Local 10 News about the fight that led to her son's death.

Jamarie Toombs, 21, was ordered held without bond Tuesday. He faces a charge of premeditated murder in the fatal stabbing of Alexander Trotman, a former Miramar High School football standout.

"This is the greatest loss I've ever experienced in my life," Tracey Washington told Local 10 News reporter Derek Shore about the death of her son.

Davie police said Trotman had multiple lacerations to his neck, chest and abdomen when officers found him lying near the stairwell of his apartment.

The stabbing took place Sunday inside an apartment at the Centro at Davie, which is student housing for the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, where Toombs and Trotman were enrolled.

"The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale grieves the tragic events that occurred within our community on Sunday," school spokesman Bob Greenlee said in a statement. "We send our deepest condolences to the family of the victim. While we cannot comment on the events further pending the ongoing police investigation, we have been advised by local law enforcement that no members of the campus community or the public are at risk."

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A witness told police that she was insideĀ Trotman'sĀ bedroom about 2:30 a.m. whenĀ ToombsĀ began yelling, "Get the (expletive) out." She saidĀ ToombsĀ seemed to calm down for a bit, but he began to yell again and throw things across the apartment.

The witness saidĀ ToombsĀ enteredĀ Trotman'sĀ bedroom, but left whenĀ TrotmanĀ told him to leave. She saidĀ ToombsĀ returned, this time carrying a flashlight, andĀ TrotmanĀ again ordered him to leave.

According to a police report, the witness heard what she thought was a "cutting" noise from outside the bedroom door, so Trotman left the bedroom to confront Toombs, and a fight ensued.

"They fell to the ground, and that's when he reached up and stabbed my son in the neck," Washington said.

The witness said Toombs used a kitchen knife to stab Trotman. She ran to a neighbor's apartment for help.

Washington said the incident shouldn't have happened.

"All he wanted to do was to go to sleep so he could go to his job, so he could go to his job on Sunday morning," Washington said.

A GoFundMe page was created to raise money for a memorial at Miramar High School.


About the Authors:

Peter Burke returned for a second stint of duty at Local 10 News in February 2014.