In a Miami courtroom on Friday, Florida teenager Derek Rosa admitted to his role in the fatal stabbing of his mother while she slept in 2023. The admission came as a part of a plea deal.

By agreeing to plead guilty to second-degree murder, Rosa, who is 15, managed to sidestep a first-degree murder charge for the death of Irina Garcia, his mother. Consequently, he received a sentence of 25 years in prison, followed by 20 years of probation.

Judge Richard Hersch of Florida’s 11th Circuit Court approved the plea arrangement after thoroughly questioning Rosa to confirm his decision to change his plea, according to a report from NBC Miami.

During the court session, Frank Ramos, Rosa’s stepfather, delivered a heartfelt and emotional victim impact statement. Speaking in Spanish, he directly addressed Rosa, expressing that the young man had “destroyed” their family with the act of killing his mother.

Ramos further revealed the depth of his previous bond with Rosa, saying he had once considered him as his own son.

“Your mother was a loving mother and a dedicated person,” he said, according to Local 10. “Losing her destroyed our family and changed our lives forever.”

The emotions overwhelmed family members, causing them to leave the courtroom.

 “I’m sorry,” Rosa said. 

As CrimeOnline previously reported, Rosa, 13 at the time, fatally stabbed his mother more than 40 times as she slept near her newborn daughter in their Hialeah home in October 2023.

The teen told investigators how he woke up, got a kitchen knife, and repeatedly stabbed his mother. After killing Garcia, Rosa sent a friend two photos of Garcia and a selfie, which showed blood on his hands.

Rosa told a 911 dispatcher that he sent pictures of his dead mother to someone he met online. He went on to tell the dispatcher that there was blood all over the floor.

“I took pictures and I told my friend about it,” he said in the 911 call. “Was that bad?”

Along with Rosa’s 25-year sentence and probation, Hersch ordered no contact with his stepfather and his baby sister.

“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,” Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said in court Friday.

“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.”

[Feature Photo: Derek Rosa/Miami-Dade Corrections]