Supporters of a Hialeah teen accused of stabbing mother to death insist he’s innocent
A group of women sat in a Miami-Dade County courtroom on Thursday morning, anxiously following a status hearing for 14-year-old Derek Rosa, who is accused of stabbing his mother to death in their Hialeah home in October 2023.
In Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Richard Hersch’s courtroom, the women, some traveling from across the country, are convinced of Derek’s innocence. They came wearing shirts adorned with his portrait and the phrase “Free Derek,” declaring themselves just a small fraction of his national and international support.
The group of about 10, most of whom are native Spanish speakers with limited fluency in English, rely on translations to follow the proceedings. They’ve attended nearly every hearing, firmly maintaining that the teen is not responsible for the tragic death of his mother, 39-year-old Irina Garcia.
Among them is Dalgis Reyna Fonseca, who lived in Hialeah at the time of the murder. Although she has no personal connection to Derek or his family, Fonseca learned about the case from a neighbor and strongly believes that Derek is being wrongfully accused of a crime he did not commit.
“We do it from the heart because one day God touched our motherly hearts and we wanted to unite to support Derek Rosa,” Reyna Fonseca said in Spanish.
Reyna Fonseca said she has traveled to Washington D.C to attend a protest against Derek’s incarceration.
READ MORE: Hialeah teen accused of killing mom, pleads not guilty. Will stay in adult jail, for now
Did teen stab mother 46 times?
On Oct. 12, 2023, state prosecutors allege the then 13-year-old Derek Rosa murdered his mother, Irina Garcia, 39, by stabbing her 46 times with a kitchen knife as she slept, while his 2-week-old sister was nearby in her crib.
In a December 2023 court hearing, prosecutors played a recording of Derek admitting to the crime.
“I woke up, I grabbed one of the kitchen knives and I went to her room,” the teen was recorded telling the detective.
“It’s OK, you can say it,” replied Hialeah Police Detective Joseph Elosegui.
“I killed her,” Derek said.
Elosegui testified that Derek conducted online searches about how to kill someone and whether a small knife could cut through bone. After the murder, Derek allegedly sent photos of the bloody scene to a friend he referred to as “Sweden,” including images of his mother and his own bloody hands. Derek, nor the prosecutors or defense, have provided a motivation for the killing.
Supporters of Derek have criticized the investigation from top to bottom.
“We believe in his innocence because we do not believe that Derek committed this act,” said Reyna Fonseca in Spanish. “There is a lot of reasonable doubt that we have. It goes from the call 911 call, the arrest, the interview, there are many reasonable doubts.”
Reyna Fonseca criticized Derek being interviewed by investigators without an adult or lawyer present as well as how long he has had to wait for a jury trial while jailed at an adult center.
A date for Derek’s trial has not been set.
Charged as an adult
Derek was initially charged with second murder and was later indicted as an adult by a Miami-Dade grand jury and the charges were upgraded to first-degree.
Two months after his mother’s death, Judge Hersch ordered Derek to be detained at Metrowest, an adult detention center.
He did not attend Thursday’s hearing in person but appeared on a Zoom call, as did his lawyers and family members. Derek is being represented by famed defense attorney Jose Baez, whose clientele includes Casey Anthony, Aaron Hernandez and Harvey Weinstein.
Judge Hersch directed the defense and prosecutors to provide more information about Derek’s housing conditions and work toward a consensus to ensure that his “conditions of confinement meet constitutional standards.”
Hersch noted that Derek currently has about 200 hours per month outside his cell but emphasized the importance of considering his age, stating he should have more opportunities to spend time outside in the “sunshine.”
Derek’s defense attorneys have raised concerns about his access to quality education, with one attorney telling the judge that he “gets whatever schooling he gets” and describing it as a “minimal education,” though prosecutors disagreed.
They have requested an Individualized Education Program (IEP) from Miami-Dade County Public Schools, but the school board has denied the request. An IEP is a tailored education plan designed to meet the specific learning needs of students with disabilities or unique challenges.
Before his arrest, Derek was an honor student at iMater Middle/High Charter School.
This story was originally published January 16, 2025 at 4:10 PM.