Derek Rosa, the 14-year-old teenager accused of killing his mother in Hialeah last year, reappeared in court virtually during a hearing held on Friday.
The grandmother and the minor's father -who were present in the room- were visibly moved upon seeing the minor, whose physical change indicates the passage of time compared to his previous appearance.
During the brief hearing—which lasted only a few minutes according to local media—the judge in charge of the case denied for the second time the ongoing attempts by the defense attorneys for the minor to be transferred from the Metrowest adult jail to a juvenile detention center.
The judge denied the request on the grounds that he needs to review the minor's medical records and the latest evaluations before making a decision.
In August, the defense lawyers stated that Rosa - whose records show that she is a child with autism and has ADHD - is not receiving the education she needs at the adult center. Her lawyers believe that the juvenile detention center will do a better job with her education.
As has become usual, several people who fervently believe in Derek Rosa's innocence attended the courtroom.
"We are mothers from all over the world who support him, who love him from the heart and are suffering alongside his family during this process they are going through," said a woman in statements to Telemundo 51.
"The child is innocent until proven otherwise, and we believe in his innocence; we do not want to accuse Derek Rosa of having committed that matricide," he added.
One of the topics discussed in the hearing was Plan 13, as well as the trial schedule.
The defense also requested access to relevant evidence, including text messages between the police and Derek's stepfather, as well as the body camera footage from the arrest.
The judge has stated his desire for the trial to start as soon as possible, with December 2 as a tentative date. Jury selection for the trial could begin on October 15.
The crime
On the night of October 12, 2023, Rosa allegedly stabbed her mother to death while the woman, 39 years old and identified as Irina García, was sleeping.
He did it in front of his little sister, who was only 14 days old, and then called 911, where he provided details of what happened inside the apartment, located at 211 West and 79 Place in Hialeah.
At several moments during the call, the operator was heard asking the minor why he killed his mother. This was something he did not respond to.
After the crime, Derek Rosa took photos of his mother's corpse and sent them to a friend, according to the police. He then told the same friend that he had killed her.
When the authorities arrived, the minor came out with his hands up. The body of his mother lay stabbed next to the baby's crib.
At the beginning of February of this year, new images were released from the security camera at the doorbell, showing the teenager speaking with his mother inside their apartment just hours before calling the police to report that he had killed her.
The case has sparked great interest both inside and outside the United States, where there is a movement of mothers demanding investigations into other alleged individuals involved in the case, and they believe that the teenager is innocent.
So far, it is expected that Derek Rosa will be tried as an adult for first-degree murder.
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