ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A 28-year-old woman was charged with first-degree murder after fatally stabbing her 11-year-old daughter Sunday morning, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies said Rosa Alcides Rivera stabbed Aleyda Rivera on or around the girl's back 15 times before driving her to Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies. Aleyda Rivera would have turned 12 years old Thursday.
Police said they were called to the hospital shortly after 10:45 a.m., when the girl's body was discovered in her mother's car, Orlando police Lt. Diego Toruno said.
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"Security advised a white female drove up to the valet area (and) was argumentative and asking for medical assistance for a female passenger," Toruno said. "Hospital staff determined (the passenger) was deceased."
Police said Rosa Rivera became combative and pulled out a knife, but officers and security guards detained her.
Rosa Rivera said she killed her daughter after the woman had an argument with relatives early Sunday at an Orange County home, an arrest affidavit said.
"My baby is gone," she said, according to the report.
Watch the Orange County sheriff provide an update on the stabbing below:
Rosa Rivera told detectives that she believed her daughter was having sex with men because she "smiled different," but she also said she had never seen her daughter having sex with anyone and that her daughter never said she was having sex, the report said.
"The suspect had said that she was upset that her daughter was having sexual relations with men or being sexually abused," Sheriff John Mina said Monday. "Based on what we know and what we found so far, we believe that part to be false."
Rosa Rivera said she believes her daughter is now in heaven because of her actions, the report said.
"We believe the stabbing actually happened in the vehicle," Mina said. "She did drive her around in the car, and at some point, when she was in the car, Aleyda passed."
Watch the suspect leave the Sheriff's Office below:
Records said Rosa Rivera arrived at a relative's home at about 7:30 a.m. and loudly knocked on the front door for an hour while accusing her mother's boyfriend of having a sexual relationship with her daughter.
"There was some discussion with the folks inside, some accusations," Mina said. "At one point, she left, and then did come back."
He said when Rosa Rivera returned to the home, she had already killed Aleyda.
Mina said Rosa Rivera removed her daughter's body from her car, placed the body on the ground and then put her body back in the car before driving to the hospital.
Relatives told Channel 9 on Monday that they were unaware that Rosa Rivera took her daughter's body to their home and that the girl was alive when they last saw her Sunday morning.
On Monday, a family member provided Channel 9 with a recent photo of Aleyda, who is seen wearing a pink "Frozen" shirt.
Mina said he is not qualified to speculate on Rosa Rivera's mental state.
Check back and watch Channel 9 Eyewitness News for live updates to this developing story.
JUST IN: @OrangeCoSheriff confirms Rosa Rivera drove around with her daughter’s dead body for a couple hours before bringing her to Winnie Palmer Hospital.
— Deanna Allbrittin (@deannaTVnews) March 11, 2019
This is a picture of 11-year-old Aleyda Rivera, which her family says was taken during a trip to Disney. Aleyda’s mother confessed to stabbing her to death yesterday. Aleyda would’ve turned 12 on Thursday. pic.twitter.com/M4ZNFIssCT
— Deanna Allbrittin (@deannaTVnews) March 11, 2019
This is the mugshot for Rosa Rivera. The 28-year-old has been booked into the Orange County Jail on first-degree murder charges. She's the suspect in the stabbing death of her 11-year-old daughter Aleyda Rivera. MORE DETAILS:https://t.co/PRxwzPKCck #WFTV pic.twitter.com/ALxU81VN2B
— Deanna Allbrittin (@deannaTVnews) March 11, 2019
NEW: “I thought I was going to jail.” Rosa Rivera, mother of an 11-year-old found dead with stab wounds in the back of her car at Winnie Palmer earlier today, was just taken away from the @OrangeCoSheriff in a cruiser. Working to confirm if she is headed to jail for processing. pic.twitter.com/E9q5VdT4mq
— Deanna Allbrittin (@deannaTVnews) March 10, 2019
#Breaking: OPD on scene of a death investigation at Winnie Palmer Hospital. Large police presence out front. Entrance taped off.#WFTV pic.twitter.com/OICo47vlMr
— Jeff Levkulich (@jlevkulichWFTV) March 10, 2019
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