HIALEAH, FLORIDA: Derek Rosa, the 13-year-old Florida boy who allegedly stabbed his sleeping mother, Irena Garcia, 39, to death in their Hialeah apartment, has entered a plea of not guilty. Rosa requested a jury trial on Tuesday, October October 31.
Family defends Florida teen accused of killing mom
Derek Rosa, who is currently being held at the MetroWest Detention Center, did not appear in court for his arraignment, but his family members were present and expressed their support for him in Spanish.
“He is a sweetheart. No one knows him like we do. This is unlike him. He’s not an adult. He’s a child that likes to play,” a relative said, according to NBC6.
Rosa was initially charged with second-degree murder, but a grand jury indicted him on a first-degree murder charge last week.
This means that his case will be transferred to the adult felony court system. He will not face the death penalty, but he could face life in prison if convicted.
Rosa’s private attorney, Kristen Reynoso, filed a motion to move Rosa from MetroWest to the Miami-Dade Juvenile Detention Center.
Judge Richard Hersch did not make a decision on the motion and said he wanted to hear arguments from both sides.
Rosa sent pictures to friends of mother's dead body
The fatal stabbing happened on October 12 at an apartment at 211 West 79th Place.
Police said Rosa stabbed his 39-year-old mother, Irina Garcia, while she slept in her bedroom next to a crib where her newborn baby was sleeping.
Rosa then took photos of his mother’s body and sent them to a friend online, according to the arrest report.
Garcia had given birth to the baby, who is Rosa’s half-sister, a few days before the killing. The baby was found lying beside her dead body, unharmed according to Daily Mail.
Her husband, who is Rosa’s stepfather and a truck driver, was out of the state at the time of the incident but returned home after hearing the news.
Derek Rosa's chilling 911 call
A chilling 911 call was released in which Rosa told the dispatcher, "I took pictures and I told my friends about it. Is that bad?"
He told the dispatcher, "She's dead, Miss. There's blood all over the floor."
When he was asked why he killed his mother, there was no response.
He further said, "Right now, I have the gun with me. I was going to shoot myself, but I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to."
"There's a knife in my room and there's a gun in the living room," the call lasted nearly 18 minutes until police arrived.
Rosa attended iMater Middle School in Hialeah
On Friday, October 27, Rosa’s father and grandmother testified on his behalf and asked the judge to let him go home under house arrest describing him as a "good kid."
They described him as a respectful honor roll student who was raised by his grandmother and taught good values by his father, who served in the military for 22 years.
“It’s hard for us to explain how this occurred,” Jose Rosa said. “It’s difficult, but I guess what we are asking for is another opportunity, a second chance to help him grow – put this behind him and say we have your back – we are here to support you.”
Rosa was denied bond on Friday. Rosa’s next hearing is scheduled for November 9. His tentative trial date is set for February.
