MIAMI (Court TV) — Days before his murder trial was scheduled to begin, a Florida teenager pleaded guilty to killing his mother in a plea agreement with prosecutors.
Derek Rosa sits alongside his attorney in court as he pleads guilty to his mother’s murder. (Court TV)
Derek Rosa, 15, had initially pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges in his mother’s death. On Friday, he appeared in court and pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree murder. Judge Richard Hersch sentenced Rosa in line with the terms of the agreement, which will have him serve 25 years in prison, followed by 20 years of probation.
Rosa was 13 when prosecutors said he brutally stabbed his mother, Irina Garcia, to death while she slept in her room in their Florida home. Also in the room was Garcia’s newborn daughter, who was not hurt. Rosa called 911 immediately after the crime and admitted to the dispatcher that he had stabbed his mother multiple times.
Prosecutor Jonathan Borst said in court that evidence collected by detectives showed that Rosa had been searching for the best way to kill someone and specifically looking for the carotid artery in the days before the attack. After stabbing his mother, Borst said that Rosa took photos of his mother’s body and a bloody selfie that he shared with a friend.
Rosa’s stepfather, Frank Ramos, offered an emotional victim impact statement. “For me, you were like a son,” Ramos said, addressing Rosa directly. “Your mom was a loving mother, dedicated, and an excellent person. Losing her destroyed our family and changed our lives forever.”
When asked if he had any statement to make, Rosa said simply, “I’m sorry. That’s it, Your Honor.”
After handing down the sentence, Judge Hersch noted the intense interest the case had garnered, noting there were more than 250 people watching the proceedings online. “I just want to make an observation as we close this case,” he remarked. “The quality of advocacy on both sides of this case, the quality of the lawyers has been excellent….I believe this resolution is appropriate.”
In a statement following the hearing, State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said, “The pain Irina Garcia suffered from the 46 stab wounds could only have been surpassed by the knowledge thatthe person killing her was her own young son.”
Under the terms of Rosa’s sentence, when he is released from prison after 25 years, he will be evaluated by a court to determine what, if any, mental health needs he may have — that could include residential mental health treatment for up to six months.
