Florida teen Derek Rosa pleaded guilty Friday in Miami, in connection with his sleeping mother’s 2023 stabbing death.
Rosa, 15, avoided a first-degree murder charge by pleading guilty to second-degree murder, for killing his mother, Irina Garcia. He has been sentenced to 25 years behind bars, along with 20 years of probation.
Florida 11th Circuit Court Judge Richard Hersch authorized the deal, following numerous questions to verify Rosa’s change of plea, NBC Miami reported.
During the proceedings, Rosa’s stepfather, Frank Ramos, gave an emotional victim impact statement. While speaking in Spanish to Rosa, he told the defendant that he “destroyed” the family when he killed his mother.
The stepfather added that he once felt as if Rosa were his own son.
“Your mother was a loving mother and a dedicated person,” he said, according to Local 10. “Losing her destroyed our family and changed 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.”
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[Feature Photo: Derek Rosa/Miami-Dade Corrections]
