This article contains graphic descriptions of violence and details about a violent crime involving a minor, which may be disturbing for some readers.
Derek Rosa, a Cuban-American teenager who confessed to fatally stabbing his mother in Hialeah last year, spent his 14th birthday in an adult prison last month. This weekend marked the one-year anniversary of the horrific crime committed by Rosa against his mother, Irina García, whom he stabbed in the neck while she was asleep.
Prior to the attack, Rosa researched how to effectively kill someone and whether a knife could pierce bone. He then applied this knowledge tragically against his own mother, who had given birth to his sister just 14 days before. "I went to her room and killed her," Derek admitted during a confession to Detective Joseph Elosegui, explaining that he woke up, grabbed a kitchen knife with a purple handle, and committed the act.
After the murder, he sent a selfie to a friend before dialing 911 to confess the crime on October 12, 2023, as reported by the police. During the call, the operator repeatedly asked the teenager why he killed his mother, but he remained silent.
Legal Proceedings and Current Status
The prosecutor filed first-degree murder charges against him in an adult court. Correctional officers took him into custody on October 26 at the Metrowest Detention Center. His formal arraignment was held in an adult court on October 31.
Defense attorneys have petitioned for the teenager to be transferred to a juvenile detention center. However, Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Richard Hersch ruled that Derek must remain in the custody of the county’s Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation until his trial.
A court hearing that was scheduled for July 15 was canceled, with no reason for the postponement provided. Nevertheless, county court records indicate that Derek has a status hearing set for December 31, as reported by Local 10.