Rosie Alfaro
Encyclopedia
Rosie Alfaro is an American female murderer currently on California's death row
for the 1990 murder
of 9 year old Autumn Wallace in Anaheim, California
. Autumn Wallace, the victim, allowed Alfaro inside the home as she recognized Alfaro as a past guest on numerous occasions, and an acquaintance of her older sister. Autumn was home alone, waiting for her sister and mom to return from work, when Alfaro arrived and asked if she could come inside to use the restroom. Alfaro, who was 18 years old, pregnant, and high on cocaine
and heroin, needed another fix, burgled the Wallace home, ultimately to garner cash to enable her to purchase drugs. When Alfaro originally planned to approach the Wallace home, she did not expect to find anyone home; when she found Autumn at home, she then realized she would have to kill her because she would know who committed the burglary
. Alfaro stabbed Autumn 57 times, and then proceeded to take anything and everything of apparent value. She later changed her original confession and stated that an unidentified male accomplice forced her to start stabbing the girl, and then he finished the slaying. Alfaro has never identified the male; police and the Orange County Prosecutor say he never existed.
in Anaheim, California
, near Disneyland. She became a drug addict at 13, a prostitute at 14 and a single mom at 15, and mother to 4 children at 18. Eventually, she became a murderer at 18 (while pregnant with twins) and the first woman in Orange County
, California
to get the death penalty at 20.
; she was waiting for her older sister and mother to return home from work. Rosie Alfaro was high on cocaine
and heroin and needed a fix. She knew the Wallace family and was friendly with one of the older daughters. She thought they were out and that she would be able to steal items from the home to sell so she could get her fix.
Autumn opened the door for Alfaro, her sister's friend, who asked to use the restroom. She took a knife from the kitchen before proceeding to the restroom, located at the back of the house. She then coaxed Autumn into the restroom on a ruse, and stabbed her over 50 times. Alfaro then ransacked the house for anything she could steal, ultimately to acquire drug money. The stolen property was later sold for less than $300.
Alfaro confessed to the crime during a police-taped interview, stating she was high on heroin and cocaine
when she stabbed Autumn. Later she changed her story and alleged an unidentified man "forced" her to stab the little girl. Still later Alfaro told police that two men drove her to the Wallace home, and one of the men came into the house and forced her to kill Autumn. She refused to identify the man. The evidence from the crime scene indicated that only members of the Wallace family and Alfaro (based on her fingerprints and a matched bloodstained shoe print) were present in the home that day. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/wallace-alfaro-autumn-1754082-death-yearshttp://articles.latimes.com/1992-06-10/news/mn-245_1_death-row?pg=1http://articles.latimes.com/1992-07-15/local/me-3981_1_death-sentence
with special circumstances. At the end of the penalty phase of the trial, the jury deadlocked 10-2 on the sentence of death. The penalty phase of the trial was then declared a mistrial. A second jury unanimously voted to recommend the death penalty. The trial judge upheld the jury’s recommendation and sentenced Alfaro to death.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/wallace-alfaro-autumn-1754082-death-years. http://articles.latimes.com/1992-07-15/local/me-3981_1_death-sentence
In August 2007, the California Supreme Court voted unanimously to uphold Alfaro's death sentence.http://www.ocregister.com/news/alfaro-death-murder-1799857-home-courthttp://crime.freedomblogging.com/2007/08/06/alfaro-death-penalty-affirmed/271/
Death row
Death row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...
for the 1990 murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
of 9 year old Autumn Wallace in Anaheim, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Autumn Wallace, the victim, allowed Alfaro inside the home as she recognized Alfaro as a past guest on numerous occasions, and an acquaintance of her older sister. Autumn was home alone, waiting for her sister and mom to return from work, when Alfaro arrived and asked if she could come inside to use the restroom. Alfaro, who was 18 years old, pregnant, and high on cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
and heroin, needed another fix, burgled the Wallace home, ultimately to garner cash to enable her to purchase drugs. When Alfaro originally planned to approach the Wallace home, she did not expect to find anyone home; when she found Autumn at home, she then realized she would have to kill her because she would know who committed the burglary
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
. Alfaro stabbed Autumn 57 times, and then proceeded to take anything and everything of apparent value. She later changed her original confession and stated that an unidentified male accomplice forced her to start stabbing the girl, and then he finished the slaying. Alfaro has never identified the male; police and the Orange County Prosecutor say he never existed.
Early life
Alfaro was raised in the barrioBarrio
Barrio is a Spanish word meaning district or neighborhood.-Usage:In its formal usage in English, barrios are generally considered cohesive places, sharing, for example, a church and traditions such as feast days...
in Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
, near Disneyland. She became a drug addict at 13, a prostitute at 14 and a single mom at 15, and mother to 4 children at 18. Eventually, she became a murderer at 18 (while pregnant with twins) and the first woman in Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to get the death penalty at 20.
Crime
On June 15, 1990, Autumn Wallace, aged 9, was home alone in Anaheim, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
; she was waiting for her older sister and mother to return home from work. Rosie Alfaro was high on cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
and heroin and needed a fix. She knew the Wallace family and was friendly with one of the older daughters. She thought they were out and that she would be able to steal items from the home to sell so she could get her fix.
Autumn opened the door for Alfaro, her sister's friend, who asked to use the restroom. She took a knife from the kitchen before proceeding to the restroom, located at the back of the house. She then coaxed Autumn into the restroom on a ruse, and stabbed her over 50 times. Alfaro then ransacked the house for anything she could steal, ultimately to acquire drug money. The stolen property was later sold for less than $300.
Alfaro confessed to the crime during a police-taped interview, stating she was high on heroin and cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
when she stabbed Autumn. Later she changed her story and alleged an unidentified man "forced" her to stab the little girl. Still later Alfaro told police that two men drove her to the Wallace home, and one of the men came into the house and forced her to kill Autumn. She refused to identify the man. The evidence from the crime scene indicated that only members of the Wallace family and Alfaro (based on her fingerprints and a matched bloodstained shoe print) were present in the home that day. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/wallace-alfaro-autumn-1754082-death-yearshttp://articles.latimes.com/1992-06-10/news/mn-245_1_death-row?pg=1http://articles.latimes.com/1992-07-15/local/me-3981_1_death-sentence
Sentencing
She was tried and convicted of first-degree murderMurder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
with special circumstances. At the end of the penalty phase of the trial, the jury deadlocked 10-2 on the sentence of death. The penalty phase of the trial was then declared a mistrial. A second jury unanimously voted to recommend the death penalty. The trial judge upheld the jury’s recommendation and sentenced Alfaro to death.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/wallace-alfaro-autumn-1754082-death-years. http://articles.latimes.com/1992-07-15/local/me-3981_1_death-sentence
In August 2007, the California Supreme Court voted unanimously to uphold Alfaro's death sentence.http://www.ocregister.com/news/alfaro-death-murder-1799857-home-courthttp://crime.freedomblogging.com/2007/08/06/alfaro-death-penalty-affirmed/271/
External links
- http://www.ocregister.com/news/alfaro-death-murder-1799857-home-court
- http://www.ocregister.com/articles/wallace-alfaro-autumn-1754082-death-years.
- http://ccadp.org/rosiealfaro.htm
- http://crime.freedomblogging.com/2007/08/06/alfaro-death-penalty-affirmed/271/
- http://articles.latimes.com/1992-03-24/news/mn-4389_1_death-sentence
- http://articles.latimes.com/1992-04-03/local/me-227_1_death-penalty?pg=1
- http://articles.latimes.com/1992-06-10/news/mn-245_1_death-row?pg=1
- http://articles.latimes.com/1992-07-15/local/me-3981_1_death-sentence