Teen girl fatally stabbed at apartment complex, thrown in closet in random attack: deputies

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A 13-year-old girl was fatally stabbed on the Fourth of July at her apartment complex in a random attack, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Rose Dieujuste was found partially naked in a utility closet at the complex, with stab wounds.

The sheriff’s office said the girl was believed to have been walking to meet a friend. The friend found the girl’s phone and shoes on a staircase and told Dieujuste’s family. The family went around knocking on doors trying to find her.

Video from the complex shows the suspect, Jerry Dorisme, 28, following Dieujuste as she walked to her friend’s building.

Deputies said she was barely alive as she was transferred to a nearby hospital. She later died from her injuries.

“She should not have died this way,” Orange County Sheriff Mina said in a press conference.

At the murder scene, deputies found a 12″ knife, believed to be the murder weapon. Footage obtained from a nearby store showed Dorisme purchasing the knife before the murder.

Deputies said there were signs of sexual abuse but it has not yet been confirmed. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating to determine if it was a sexual assault.

According to nearby residents, Dorisme used to live in that area and was known to walk around and watch girls.

“Rose’s murder shook our community and our agency. Anytime a child is murdered, we all collectively grieve,” Sheriff Mina said. “We can’t even imagine the pain and anguish that Rose’s family and loved ones are going through right now.”

Dorisme was arrested Thursday on charges of first-degree felony murder. He had a previous arrest for lewd and lascivious behavior on a child, the Sheriff revealed.

While at the sheriff’s office for eight hours, officials said Dorisme “never opened his mouth once.”

The case remains under investigation.

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