In a Miami courtroom on Friday, Florida teenager Derek Rosa admitted guilt in the tragic 2023 stabbing death of his mother, who was attacked while she slept.
The 15-year-old avoided facing a first-degree murder charge by agreeing to plead guilty to second-degree murder for the killing of his mother, Irina Garcia. As part of his plea deal, Rosa was sentenced to 25 years in prison followed by 20 years of probation.
Judge Richard Hersch of Florida’s 11th Circuit Court approved the plea agreement after thoroughly questioning Rosa to confirm his decision, as reported by NBC Miami.
During the court proceedings, Rosa’s stepfather, Frank Ramos, delivered a heartfelt victim impact statement. Speaking in Spanish, he emotionally addressed Rosa, expressing how the act had “destroyed” their family.
Ramos further shared that he had once considered Rosa as if he were his own son.
According to Local 10, Ramos stated, “Your mother was a loving and devoted person. Losing her has devastated our family and altered our lives forever.”
The emotions overwhelmed family members, causing them to leave the courtroom.
“I’m sorry,” Rosa said.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Rosa, 13 at the time, fatally stabbed his mother more than 40 times as she slept near her newborn daughter in their Hialeah home in October 2023.
The teen told investigators how he woke up, got a kitchen knife, and repeatedly stabbed his mother. After killing Garcia, Rosa sent a friend two photos of Garcia and a selfie, which showed blood on his hands.
Rosa told a 911 dispatcher that he sent pictures of his dead mother to someone he met online. He went on to tell the dispatcher that there was blood all over the floor.
“I took pictures and I told my friend about it,” he said in the 911 call. “Was that bad?”
Along with Rosa’s 25-year sentence and probation, Hersch ordered no contact with his stepfather and his baby sister.
“The pain Irina Garcia suffered from the 46 stab wounds could only have been surpassed by the knowledge that the person killing her was her own young son,” Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said in court Friday.
“The conclusion of this criminal case does not diminish the deep tragedy of Derek’s actions. When he stole his mother’s life, he also stole so much of his own future.”
[Feature Photo: Derek Rosa/Miami-Dade Corrections]
