A jury has recommended 23 years in prison for an Oklahoma County mother convicted of child abuse after her four-year-old daughter was hospitalized with a lacerated spleen, a collapsed lung, a broken elbow and a torn frenulum that required emergency surgery. Jacqueline Rodriguez, 30, was found guilty on one count of child abuse, and she will remain jailed until her formal sentencing hearing in October.
According to KFOR, the Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office reported that Rodriguez was convicted by a jury on the single count. The station reports the child needed a chest tube and had significant bruising and swelling across her face, arms, legs and back at the time she was admitted to the hospital. Detectives arrested Rodriguez along with Brayan Camarillo Padierna in connection with the girl's injuries.
Camarillo Padierna pleaded guilty to one count of child abuse in December 2025 and was sentenced to 25 years in prison, two years longer than the sentence the jury recommended for Rodriguez, the outlet notes. Rodriguez, by contrast, took her case to trial before the jury reached its verdict and sentencing recommendation.
What the Child Told Investigators
The station's report states the child told investigators she did not feel safe with Camarillo Padierna and said that on the day she was hurt, her mother did not love her. Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Zemp Behenna, who took office in January 2023 as the first woman elected to the role, per Oklahoma County, said testifying in court is especially difficult for a six-year-old asked to tell strangers about what her mother did to her.
Behenna said the child was incredibly brave despite being unable to testify to everything she had previously told investigators. She said the girl can now grow up in a safe and secure environment surrounded by love, according to the same account relayed by the station.
Severity of the Injuries
Severity of the Injuries The child was hospitalized with a lacerated spleen, a collapsed lung, a broken elbow and a torn frenulum. Rodriguez was booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center, according to Oklahoma County.
What Comes Next in Sentencing
Under Oklahoma criminal procedure, juries recommend sentences that trial judges have traditionally followed at formal sentencing unless specific legal exceptions apply, as affirmed by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals in Washburn v. State, according to the Wirth Law Office. Rodriguez is scheduled to appear for formal sentencing in October, after the jury recommended 23 years.
Because felony child abuse is classified as a violent offense under Oklahoma's 85% Rule, Rodriguez would be required to serve at least 85% of any imposed sentence before release, according to Oklahoma Digital Prairie records on the statute. Under a 23-year term, that would mean nearly 19.5 years served before release. Statutory penalties for felony child abuse in Oklahoma range from zero years to life or life without parole, along with a fine of up to $5,000, under 21 O.S. § 843.5.
According to the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, its Jul 18, 2024, decision in State v. Aguilar addressed whether a child was exposed to danger.
Statewide Context on Child Abuse Cases
Oklahoma law also holds caregivers who fail to protect a child from abuse legally accountable under the same felony standards as active physical abusers, according to the Stillwater Attorney office. Statewide, Oklahoma has documented 13,546 confirmed child victims of abuse or neglect, a rate of 14.2 per 1,000 children, per data compiled by Phillips & Associates. Oklahoma Human Services maintains a 24-hour Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 1-800-522-3511 for reports of suspected maltreatment, according to Oklahoma.gov.
