HIALEAH, FL - Video of a police interview with 13-year-old Derek Rosa shows the moments he calmly confessed to murdering his mother after pleading not guilty to the violent act.
According to FOX News, Rosa confessed that he stabbed his mother in the throat with a large kitchen knife. The incident took place on October 12, 2023, when Rosa brutally murdered his 39-year-old mother, Irina Garcia, by stabbing her several times. His newborn sister, who was not harmed, was sleeping in a crib in the same room.
Rosa, although only 13-years-old, was tried as an adult and pleaded not guilty back on October 31, 2023. In the recently released video, police were questioning Rosa about the incident. After being read his Miranda Rights by detectives with the Hialeah Police Department (HPD), Rosa started talking about being an eighth-grade student who earns A's and B's in school.
He also told detectives that his time is divided between both of his parents. On the day of his mother's murder, Rosa told detectives that he took the bus to school, didn't do much school work while there, and then rode the bus back home, where he remained for the rest of the day.
Then, around 10:00 p.m., things changed for Rosa. He told detectives that at 10:00 p.m. he went to bed and so did his mother. He has his own bedroom and his mother shares her room with his baby sister. He said, "I woke up, went to the kitchen. I grabbed one of the kitchen knives and then I went to her room and I..."
Rosa reportedly paused after that and one of the detectives said, "It's ok, you can say it." Rosa said, "I killed her." Before the young boy nodded back, the detective asked, "You killed her?"
Detectives proceeded to ask about the knife, which Rosa then took both of his hands and showed the detectives that the knife was about a foot long, though he was not sure what type of knife it was, only that it had a purple handle. Detectives asked the young boy how he killed his mother.
On video, Rosa told detectives that the cut her on the neck and struck an artery. He told the detectives that his mother was asleep when he walked into the room and that he said curse words in Spanish before "purposely" stabbing her in the neck.
After stabbing and killing his own mother, Rosa said that he grabbed one of his stepdad's guns, put a magazine in it and pulled back the slide, but that he could not follow through with killing himself. Instead, he reportedly called one of his friends he met from playing online video games and told him that he had just killed his mother. He then sent two pictures of his mom and one of himself to the friend.
Rosa said that the friend couldn't believe what he had just done. Rosa told detectives that after he hung up with his friend, he intended on shooting himself, but instead call 911 and asked for the police to come to the house because he had just killed his mother.
During the questioning, detectives asked Rosa why he killed his mother. At that point, he said he had to use the bathroom before he could answer the question. Roughly four minutes later, Rosa returned and the detectives asked him what types of video games he plays.
He told them that he has an XBox, Nintendo Switch, and VR headset, and that he likes to play Fortnite and Call of Duty. After that, the detectives asked the young boy again, why did he kill his mother. Rosa asked, "Do I have to say it now?" One of the detectives said, "Yeah, get it off your chest." Rosa asked, "Can I wait for a lawyer?"
One of the detectives told Rosa that they are not there to advise him on whether he should have a lawyer or not and that the choice was up to the teenage boy. Detectives then asked him if he was requesting a lawyer because if so, the interview could not go any further.
The detectives asked Rosa, "Do you want us to stop the interview?" The young boy said, "Yes," and the detectives ended the interview and turned off the camera. According to CBS News, since the incident, Rosa's lawyers have tried to reclassify him as a juvenile, but have been unsuccessful in those attempts. The murder case is scheduled to move forward in February.
According to FOX News, Rosa confessed that he stabbed his mother in the throat with a large kitchen knife. The incident took place on October 12, 2023, when Rosa brutally murdered his 39-year-old mother, Irina Garcia, by stabbing her several times. His newborn sister, who was not harmed, was sleeping in a crib in the same room.
Rosa, although only 13-years-old, was tried as an adult and pleaded not guilty back on October 31, 2023. In the recently released video, police were questioning Rosa about the incident. After being read his Miranda Rights by detectives with the Hialeah Police Department (HPD), Rosa started talking about being an eighth-grade student who earns A's and B's in school.
He also told detectives that his time is divided between both of his parents. On the day of his mother's murder, Rosa told detectives that he took the bus to school, didn't do much school work while there, and then rode the bus back home, where he remained for the rest of the day.
Then, around 10:00 p.m., things changed for Rosa. He told detectives that at 10:00 p.m. he went to bed and so did his mother. He has his own bedroom and his mother shares her room with his baby sister. He said, "I woke up, went to the kitchen. I grabbed one of the kitchen knives and then I went to her room and I..."
Rosa reportedly paused after that and one of the detectives said, "It's ok, you can say it." Rosa said, "I killed her." Before the young boy nodded back, the detective asked, "You killed her?"
Detectives proceeded to ask about the knife, which Rosa then took both of his hands and showed the detectives that the knife was about a foot long, though he was not sure what type of knife it was, only that it had a purple handle. Detectives asked the young boy how he killed his mother.
On video, Rosa told detectives that the cut her on the neck and struck an artery. He told the detectives that his mother was asleep when he walked into the room and that he said curse words in Spanish before "purposely" stabbing her in the neck.
After stabbing and killing his own mother, Rosa said that he grabbed one of his stepdad's guns, put a magazine in it and pulled back the slide, but that he could not follow through with killing himself. Instead, he reportedly called one of his friends he met from playing online video games and told him that he had just killed his mother. He then sent two pictures of his mom and one of himself to the friend.
Rosa said that the friend couldn't believe what he had just done. Rosa told detectives that after he hung up with his friend, he intended on shooting himself, but instead call 911 and asked for the police to come to the house because he had just killed his mother.
During the questioning, detectives asked Rosa why he killed his mother. At that point, he said he had to use the bathroom before he could answer the question. Roughly four minutes later, Rosa returned and the detectives asked him what types of video games he plays.
He told them that he has an XBox, Nintendo Switch, and VR headset, and that he likes to play Fortnite and Call of Duty. After that, the detectives asked the young boy again, why did he kill his mother. Rosa asked, "Do I have to say it now?" One of the detectives said, "Yeah, get it off your chest." Rosa asked, "Can I wait for a lawyer?"
One of the detectives told Rosa that they are not there to advise him on whether he should have a lawyer or not and that the choice was up to the teenage boy. Detectives then asked him if he was requesting a lawyer because if so, the interview could not go any further.
The detectives asked Rosa, "Do you want us to stop the interview?" The young boy said, "Yes," and the detectives ended the interview and turned off the camera. According to CBS News, since the incident, Rosa's lawyers have tried to reclassify him as a juvenile, but have been unsuccessful in those attempts. The murder case is scheduled to move forward in February.
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