During the police interrogation, Derek Rosa disclosed his academic achievements (Representational)
An eighth-grade honour student, Derek Rosa, confessed to brutally murdering his mother, Irina Garcia, while his newborn sister slept just steps away in their Florida home.
The chilling video, obtained by NBC, shows 13-year-old Rosa detailing the horrific incident on October 12, 2023.
In the clip, dated October 13, the detective asked Derek Rosa, "Did you kill her?" while he nodded in acknowledgment before the detective delved into the details.
"I woke up, I grabbed one of the kitchen knives, and I went to her room," Derek Rosa confessed in the recording. After a moment of hesitation, he added, "I killed her." The detective asked if she was sleeping, to which he replied, "Yeah, she was sleeping."
Derek Rosa stands accused of stabbing his mother 46 times and admitted to using a "big-sized kitchen knife" for the fatal stabbing. Showing the size with his fingers, he added that the handle of the knife was "purple."
The detective asked Derek Rosa where he cut his mother, and the teen pointed towards his neck in response. He also admitted that his mother screamed during the attack. The detective noticed red stains on Derek Rosa's clothes, which he confirmed as blood since he hadn't changed out of his clothes till then.
Derek Rosa shared that after killing his mother, he took one of his stepdad's guns, loaded the magazine, and tried to shoot himself but couldn't go through with it. Derek Rosa's stepfather, a truck driver, was out of town for work during the tragic incident.
Derek Rosa revealed that after the attack, he reached out to an "online friend" named "Sweeden" to say goodbye, and even sent them pictures of his mom and a selfie. He said he considered shooting himself again, but he chose to call 911 instead.
During the police interrogation, Derek Rosa, who reportedly excels academically, was read his Miranda Rights by detectives from the Hialeah Police Department. The teenager disclosed his academic achievements, emphasising that he is an eighth-grade student earning A's and B's.
Despite his age, Derek Rosa was charged as an adult and pleaded not guilty to the murder charge on October 31. He is currently held in a juvenile wing at the Metrowest Detention Center, and a trial date is scheduled for February. If convicted, he could potentially face life in prison.