On July 4, thirteen-year-old Rose Dieujuste strolled from her Florida apartment complex to her friend’s house to hang out, as so many children do.
However, she never made it.
A grand jury has indicted a man accused of “senselessly and brutally” raping and murdering a young teen, charging him with first-degree murder and rape, State Attorney Andrew Bain revealed on Wednesday, August 28.
Jerry Dorisme was indicted by a grand jury on first-degree murder, kidnapping with the purpose to inflict bodily harm or intimidation, sexual battery, and attempted sexual battery, according to a state attorney’s release.
The allegations come from a July 4 incident in which Rose was walking to her friend’s apartment in another building at the Palmetto at Lakeside complex in Orlando, according to Orange County Sheriff John Mina.
“Her friend found Rose’s cell phone and shoes on the staircase in that apartment building and reached out to Rose’s family,” Mina informed me.
The buddy told Rose’s older brother, Jean Renal Dieujuste, that “she saw her [shoes] and her phone on the stairs but she was not there,” the brother said on a GoFundMe page.
The victim’s brother stated that he was terrified and that he and others knocked on doors and checked until they made the terrible finding.
Deputies responding to panicked 911 calls discovered Rose “partially naked” in the closet, according to Mina. “She had been stabbed and was barely alive.”
She was transported to a nearby hospital, where she died from her injuries.
“She should not have died in this way,” Mina said. My heart breaks for her family, friends, and loved ones. What we can do now is deliver justice for this family going ahead.”
A witness at the complex saw a male leave the building where Rose was discovered, he stated.
Dorisme was allegedly seen on video at the property “following at a distance behind Rose as she walked through the complex to her friend’s building,” Mina stated. Detectives discovered the packaging of a 12-inch kitchen knife, which they suspect was the murder weapon, at the crime site, Mina stated.
Detectives also discovered video footage of Dorisme reportedly “buying that same kitchen knife” from a neighboring store shortly before the slaying “that was used in the murder,” he claimed.
Dorisme was detained on the 11th of July.
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His public lawyer filed an incompetency motion on August 6, according to WFTV 9.
His public defender did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s inquiry for comment.
His trial is set to begin on December 2.
“Rose’s murder shook our community and our agency,” Mina told reporters. “Every time a child is murdered, we all weep. I’m a dad. Our investigators are all parents, and this is difficult for both them and the community. And we can’t imagine the heartache and sorrow that Rose’s family and loved ones are experiencing right now.”
Dorisme was arrested in 2021 on charges of indecent and lascivious behavior toward a kid, according to Mina. According to Mina, the charges were lowered to child abuse. Dorisme pled not guilty and was sentenced to one year and a day in prison.
According to Mina, Orange County deputies encountered him in June after receiving reports of a man strolling along the street with a knife.
Dorisme allegedly struck three officers who attempted to arrest him. Officers implemented the Baker Act, which requires persons suspected of having a mental disorder to spend up to 72 hours in a mental health treatment center.
Dorisme was familiar with the area and had allegedly been spotted monitoring girls, according to Mina.
“They were concerned about him,” she said.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit rainn.org.