The defense of Derek Rosa, the 13-year-old minor accused in Florida of stabbing his mother to death while she was sleeping, was preparing this Thursday to inspect the crime scene.
The action responds to an emergency request made by Rosa’s attorneys during a hearing in the case Tuesday in Hialeah.
It’s unclear what exactly attorneys are looking for at the scene.
Yesterday the lawyers were supposed to visit the apartment where the crime occurred on October 12, according to the Local 10 report.
The young man is being tried as an adult for the murder of Irina García, 39.
Lawyers seek to have the accused transferred to a juvenile detention center
Earlier this month, Miami-Dade County Judge Richard Hersch determined that Rosa will remain committed to the Metro West Detention Center, despite his attorneys’ attempts to have him held in a juvenile facility.
Hersch argued that the above would not be in accordance with the law. However, he was open to evaluating other constitutional laws that may affect the defense’s request. This issue was another of those addressed in the judicial meeting.
Today Hersch was supposed to speak on the matter at another hearing.
As of early Friday afternoon, there were no press updates on the outcome of the lawyers’ request.
Rosa is charged with first-degree murder for fatally wounding his mother while she was sleeping. García was with Rosa’s 14-year-old half-sister at the time of the attack.
The minor pleaded not guilty after a grand jury returned the indictment against him.
Rosa was the one who called 911 to report that she had killed her mother
The evidence handled by the authorities indicates that the teenager himself was the one who called the 911 system, shortly after 11:30 pm on that day, to report that he had murdered his mother.
When officers arrived at the scene at 211 W. 79th Place, Garcia’s body was lying on the ground with multiple puncture wounds to his neck.
The boy would have told the 911 dispatcher that he took photos of the scene and sent them to a friend to whom he said goodbye. He also allegedly stated that he thought about suicide, but that it was not what he wanted to do.
Investigators have not yet established the motive for the crime.
“A good child, affectionate and loving”
However, Rosa’s relatives have come to his defense, arguing that he is a good child, despite the atrocity attributed to him.
“Derek is a good child, affectionate and loving,” a family member told the television station. “This is not Derek. No one knows Derek like we know him. And this is not Derek…” the source added.
The trial could begin in February, although the exact date has not been established.
If convicted, the boy faces a sentence of life imprisonment.
During the court meeting on Tuesday, the minor did not show any emotion, and limited himself to nodding his head when speaking with his lawyers, according to some media accounts.
At one point, his father, José, greeted him from a distance and blew him a kiss; while his grandmother began to cry, the WSVN report describes.
Rosa lived with her mother and stepfather.
Keep reading:
13-year-old minor who stabbed his mother to death while she slept sent photos of the body to his friend
Father of 13-year-old boy accused of stabbing his mother to death says he is a “good boy”