1994: Rosa Santos moved with her family to Pine Valley when her eldest sister, Maria Santos, married Edmund Grey. Unlike her siblings, her mother, Isabella Santos, kept her sheltered in a private school.

2001: Rosa begged her mother to let her go to Pine Valley High School for senior year. Isabella had become protective to Rosa ever since her sister, Maria Grey’s, untimely death and Julia Keefer’s placement into Witness Protection. Her brother, Mateo Sanots, agreed to allow Rosa to move in with him and attend PVH as long as she took a job at SOS to keep out of trouble.
Rosa began dating a boy named Marcus Dunn. Marcus only liked Rosa because she was a virgin. Gabriel Devane protected Rosa from Marcus’ advances. One night, Marcus attempted to rape Rosa. She turned to Mateo who wrongfully thought Gabriel was responsible. When Marcus was fund beaten, Rosa warned Gabriel he was the main suspect and they went on the run. Rosa confided in Gabriel her fear that she was going to turn out like on her sisters: dead or in hiding.
Gabriel was exonerated for hurting Marcus. Marcus was part of a growing drug problem in Pine Valley. The drug lord Proteus wanted to use SOS as a front for operations. When Mateo put up opposition, Proteus planted drugs on Rosa. Mateo sent Rosa back to San Antonio to protect her.