Newly released photos from the Miami-Dade District Attorney's Office show a shocking scene at the Hialeah, Florida, home of Irina Garcia moments before she died a brutal death. Derek Rosa, 13, is accused of killing his mother by stabbing her multiple times while she slept. The haunting images may be precisely what the prosecution needs to ensure justice is served.
Garcia died in her bed on October 12 while her infant daughter slept a few feet away in her crib. The baby was unharmed. Rosa allegedly sent messages to a friend saying he killed his mother and then made a 911 call admitting to the crime. Even though he is a juvenile, he will be tried as an adult.
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The images are frightening.
The images were captured by a baby monitor not far from the 14-day-old infant's crib, according to NBC 6. The first image shows Garcia sitting on her bed, feeding her baby. The next photo, taken a short time later, reportedly shows Rosa standing over his mother's bed. He is accused of killing her in her sleep. A third image allegedly shows the knife used to kill Garcia covered in blood.
Rosa allegedly sent a gruesome photo to friends.
The DA also released an alleged image of Rosa with his hands covered in blood. He reportedly sent that photo to a friend after his mother died.
During a 911 call, Rosa, who was an honor student, allegedly tells the dispatcher, "I have the gun with me. I was going to shoot myself, but I didn't want to. I didn't want to," the New York Post reported. "There's a knife in my room, and there's a gun in the living room."
The teen pleaded not guilty.
During a hearing last month, Rosa reportedly backtracked and said he is innocent of the crime. He is scheduled to be tried as an adult and is being held in an adult jail. NBC News reported that on Friday, Miami-Dade Judge Richard Hersch heard arguments from the defense and the prosecution about whether the teen should be transferred to a juvenile facility.
The prosecution contends that Rosa should stay in the adult population at Metro West Detention Center because he needs to be treated as an adult for his alleged role in the crime.
Hersch granted the defense a continuance until Tuesday to gather its argument in favor of transferring Rosa out of the adult population at Metro West to a juvenile facility. That hearing was ultimately postponed until Thursday, NBC 6 reported.
Rosa's family tried to sway the court's decision.
Rosa's father and grandmother reportedly testified on the teen's behalf at an October 27 hearing, attempting to convince the court to release him on house arrest, NBC News reported. The court did not honor the plea, and Rosa remains in jail awaiting Tuesday's scheduled hearing.
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Rosa reportedly acts as a model inmate.
NBC 6 spoke with corrections officers who work with Rosa. A witness said, "I have no complaints with Rosa. My staff haven't given me no complaints when it comes to Rosa." He reportedly stays in a cell alone and does not interact with others, including fellow teen inmates, because he is considered a "high-risk" inmate.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Rosa could spend the rest of his life in jail or even face the death penalty, per Florida law.
