The defense attorney of a Hialeah teen who pleaded guilty to stabbing his mother to death posted a simple, handwritten message from the teen on her Instagram.
“Thank you to everyone that helped my case,” it said. It was signed with the date, Jan. 19, 2026, and his full name, Derek Steven Rosa.
Rosa was facing a first-degree murder charge in the killing of his mother, Irina Garcia, who was found slain at the family’s apartment. On Friday, he asked to change his plea and plead guilty to a second-degree murder charge in exchange for a sentence of 25 years.
Dayliset Rielo, Rosa’s attorney, wrote a message in English and Spanish about defending the teen in his case.
“As defense counsel, we led this case with purpose, resolve and unwavering legal authority, and the record speaks unmistakably for itself —louder than any rumor or headline. This is not a media spectacle, nor a story for public consumption—it is about the life of a child and his family, and that truth demands dignity, care, and accountability. Due process is not negotiable; it is the foundational backbone of our justice system, and I will defend it without apology and without retreat, regardless of pressure or public clamor. For now, this is the last statement I will make on this page regarding Derek Rosa, the rest of this story including future statements will be shared alongside Derek and his family, when they are ready, and determine it to be the right time.”
Rosa, now 15, was just 13 when he was arrested in the murder of Garcia, who police said was stabbed over 40 times on Oct. 12, 2023.
A baby monitor appeared to capture Rosa standing on top of his mom. After that, he called 911 and sat down with police to confess.
“I’m sorry,” Rosa said to his family in the courtroom the day he pleaded guilty.
In a statement, Miami-Dade County State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said:
“With today’s guilty plea Derek Rosa admitted what he had previously told a 911 operator and what he had confessed to police detectives, that he murdered his mother. The pain Irina Garcia suffered from the 46 stab wounds could only have been surpassed by the knowledge that the person killing her was her own young son. The conclusion of this criminal case does not diminish the deep tragedy of Derek’s actions. When he stole his mother’s life, he also stole so much of his own future.”
On top of the plea deal, Rosa was also ordered to stay away from his stepfather and his baby sister.
Intense new video shows the arrest of a Hialeah teen who confessed to brutally stabbing his mother to death inside their apartment back in 2023. The footage obtained by NBC6 on Tuesday shows a then 13-year-old Derek Rosa coming out of the apartment with his hands up back on Oct. 12, 2023.