Mother found guilty of killing 1-year-old son sentenced to 50 years

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - A mother accused of killing her 1-year-old son back in 2015 was found guilty on Wednesday. She was sentenced to 50 years in prison.

The sentence was read Wednesday afternoon for 23-year-old Madison Rodriguez, who was found guilty on charges of aggravated assault, domestic violence with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury. The possibility of parole was not mentioned.

Rodriguez was 18-years-old when she was charged with capital murder in 2015. She, along with then 21-year-old Charles Dillon Flournoy have both been charged in connection with the death of 1-year-old Mason Rodriguez.

During last Wednesday’s portion of the trial, prosecutors called a Lubbock Police detective to the stand who played an audio recording of detectives interviewing Rodriguez.

Detectives asked Rodriguez what she thought should happen if somebody did do something to her son, Mason.

She replied: “The sky is the limit. I hope and I pray that that person gets what they deserve.”

Rodriguez said: “No baby should die at the age of one."

Prosecution took this time to point out that Rodriguez was referring to Mason in the past tense before she was told he had died.

The brother of Charles Dillon Flournoy testified that he saw Mason the day before he died, adding it was evident that something was wrong with him. He said he and others told Madison and Dillon to take the child to a doctor but they refused.

Last Thursday, prosecutors again showed the jury video of detectives with Lubbock police interviewing Rodriguez. After hours of questioning, she finally told detectives what happened.

“I slammed him on the floor because I was mad,” Rodriguez told police, “I took my anger out on an innocent child.”

It all began in June of 2015, when authorities were called to a home in the 1800 block of East 25th Street.

According to the arrest warrant, Flournoy told police he had fallen on the child, dropped him and the child had fallen off a counter while unattended. Rodriguez said she had gotten into an argument with Flournoy while holding Mason, before forcefully throwing the child to the floor and leaving the room.

Rodriguez told police the child began having problems afterward, but she did not seek medical attention because she didn’t know if her insurance coverage had started and wanted to avoid an expensive medical bill.

Rodriguez was previously indicted on a capital murder charge. The grand jury re-indicted her on the charge of aggravated assault - domestic violence with a deadly weapon. Because of the enhancements to the indictment, she faces five to 99 years or life in prison.

Rodriguez has been in the Lubbock County Detention Center since July 1, 2015.

Flournoy has been charged with injury to a child, and if convicted, he faces five years to life in prison. His trial date has not been set.

Court documents show he was originally arrested on July 1, 2015. On Nov. 24, 2015, his bond was reduced from $500,000 to $75,000. On Feb. 19, 2016, he was released on bond. He was required to abide by a curfew of 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. unless at work, report to pretrial services and have no contact with Madison Rodriguez or her family. Court documents show he violated the reporting condition of his bond twice, he defaulted on his payments, and he was arrested for a new offense, assault domestic violence on Nov. 23, 2019. He also violated the curfew condition when he was arrested, being that it was about 3:30 a.m. Lubbock Sheriff’s Officers also made contact with him in response to an aggravated robbery on Aug. 11, 2019 at 1:24 a.m. and he was not at home or work.

He is currently being held in the Lubbock County Detention Center on a $500,000 bond.

Flournoy is not the child’s biological father.

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