A 14-year-old boy from Florida, Derek Rosa, is accused of stabbing his mother to death while she slept next to her 14-day-old baby. Despite the charges, Rosa has gained support from mothers across the country who believe he is innocent.
Ariana Reyes, a mother from Chicago, has been traveling to Miami-Dade County to attend Rosa’s court hearings. “I truly believe he’s innocent,” Reyes said in a press conference, suggesting that Rosa might have been manipulated by someone else... Continue reading here ▶
She referred to sounds from a 911 call that made her think another person could have been involved.
Rosa, who was 13 at the time of the incident in October 2023, is charged with first-degree murder for allegedly killing his 39-year-old mother, Irina Garcia, while she slept holding her baby. Surveillance footage from the home reportedly shows Garcia in bed at 10:23 p.m. and a figure standing over her at 11:00 p.m.
Prosecutors presented photos of a kitchen knife, allegedly the murder weapon, found covered in blood and hair. Another photo shows Rosa making a “hang loose” gesture with a blood-covered hand, which he reportedly sent to friends.
According to police, Rosa called 911 at 11:30 p.m. that night, confessing to the stabbing. During the call, he was described as “polite” and even asked if it was wrong to tell his friends about what happened.
Body camera footage shows Rosa calmly surrendering to officers, appearing relaxed and even falling asleep in the back of a police car. During questioning, he admitted to cutting his mother and showed where on her body he had done so.
Rosa was described by many as a straight-A student who had never been in trouble before. His lawyer, Kristen Jackwin, stressed that Rosa is just a child and still has the support of his family.
Mothers from across the U.S. have joined protests to support Rosa, holding signs and wearing shirts with his picture while chanting, “Free Derek!” Martha Hernandez, a mother from California, said, “He’s just a child. He didn’t kill his mother.”
Rosa’s trial is set to begin later this year, with the next hearing scheduled for Thursday.
