Derek Rosa, Florida honor student, fatally stabs his mother, Irina Garcia at their Hialeah apartment as she slept next to her newborn baby daughter.
A 13 year old Florida honor roll student is alleged to have fatally stabbed his mother as the parent slept next to her newborn daughter.
Derek Rosa confessed to stabbing Irina Garcia, 39, at their Hialeah apartment complex along the the 200 block of West 79th Place, late Thursday night.
News of the ‘shock stabbing,’ left authorities baffled as they struggled to understand what motivated the straight A student.
Mom found with multiple stab wounds to the neck
‘Right now, we’re all in disbelief,’ said Hialeah Police Lt. Eddie Rodriguez according to WSVN.
Police said the teen called 911 at 11:31 p.m.
‘He called right away; he called after he did it and pretty much turned himself in over the phone, I guess you could say,’ said Rodriguez.
Upon his arrest, the teen was charged with second degree murder. Rosa who appeared in court on Friday was charged as a minor.
A judge agreed to give the teen secure detention for 21 days.
According to the arrest report, the mother ‘was found on the bedroom floor by Hialeah Police patrol officers with multiple stab wounds to the neck.’
Rodriguez said the victim’s body was just inches from a newborn.
‘Next to a crib. Inside of that crib, a 14-day-old baby that thank goodness was not hurt,’ he said.
Officials believe Rosa waited until his mother fell asleep before knifing her multiple times.
No known motive
The teen was an honor roll student at iMater Charter Middle/High School, located at 651 W. 20th St. School officials said they were not aware of any history of problems or mental illness.
‘It’s a very tragic, sad story, and now we’re just in the process of talking to family members to see if they can shed some light on this,’ Rodriguez told WSVN.
Neighbor Lazaro Rodriguez told Local 10 that Rosa was ‘always with his mom’ and seemed ‘calm.’
‘He would help her carry packages or shopping bags,’ Rodriguez said. ‘I never saw anything abnormal with him. I don’t know what could’ve happened.’
The suspect’s stepfather who also lives at the residence, was not at home at the time because he is a trucker. Rosa is understood to have had a good relationship with the man.
Social media showed Rosa and his stepfather dressed in matching light-pink polo shirts and khakis cradling Garcia’s baby bump during an idyllic maternity photoshoot before the birth of her daughter.
Police have yet to say what motivated the teen son.
