Who is Derek Rosa? Florida teen admits he took pictures of mom after stabbing her to death and sent images to friends in chilling 911 call

'I took pictures and I told my friends about it. Is that bad?' said Derek Rosa in the chilling 911 call
PUBLISHED OCT 28, 2023
Murder suspect Derek Rosa took pictures of his mom to send to his friends after stabbing her to death (@Hialeah Police)
Murder suspect Derek Rosa took pictures of his mom to send to his friends after stabbing her to death (@Hialeah Police)

Warning: Graphic content, readers’ discretion advised

HIALEAH, FLORIDA: In a macabre 911 call, Derek Rosa, a 13-year-old boy from Hialeah, Florida, admitted to killing his mother, Irena Garcia. The teen is alleged to have repeatedly stabbed his mother as she slept beside her infant daughter, according to Daily Mail.

In the mugshot, Rosa seemed impassive, his gaze emotionless, following his indictment on a first-degree murder charge.

The Florida teen will face trial as an adult and was absent from his initial court hearing today. He is currently detained at the Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation Center.

The unsettling 911 call has been made public, in which Rosa informs the dispatcher of his intent to end his own life after photographing his mother’s body.

Derek Rosa's chilling 911 call



 

It is alleged that Rosa waited for his mother to fall asleep before he assaulted her with a knife, per the New York Post. Following the dreadful event, the teen made a distressing 911 call in which he confessed to photographing his mother’s lifeless body and sharing these images with his friends.

Reportedly, Rosa remained on the call with the dispatcher for close to 18 minutes until the police reached the location.

The Florida teen can be heard saying, "I took pictures and I told my friends about it. Is that bad?" Rosa then told the dispatcher, "She's dead, Miss. There's blood all over the floor."

Additionally, the teenager is believed to have stated, "Right now, I have the gun with me. I was going to shoot myself, but I didn’t want to. I didn't want to. There's a knife in my room and there's a gun in the living room." 

Florida teen said he was 'very sad'

Derek Rosa allegedly stabbed his mother, Irena Garcia, to death (Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation, WPLG Local 10/YouTube)
Derek Rosa allegedly stabbed his mother, Irena Garcia, to death (Miami-Dade Corrections & Rehabilitation, WPLG Local 10/YouTube)

Lt. Eddie Rodriguez, a representative for the Hialeah Police Department, informed WPLG-TV that the honor student at iMater Charter Middle/High School dialed 911 shortly after 11.30 pm to declare that he had "just murdered his mother."

A recording of the emergency call was disclosed by the police a few days prior to the initial hearing.

The police have not yet verified the existence of any photographs or messages sent to Rosa’s friends. It has been alleged that he also expressed that he was "very sad" and had the intention to "end his life with a gun."

According to officials, his infant sister is now with their grandma. Derek Rosa is scheduled to appear before a judge in an arraignment hearing next week, per Daily Mail.

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