SEATTLE — Warning: This story depicts instances of violence against a child. Reader discretion is advised.
A north Seattle mother has now been charged in the death of her 4-year-old son, who was found by police with a chest wound face down in a bloody tub.
On Oct. 16, police say a man at the Cedar Crossing Apartments called and said the mother of his children was trying to hurt herself.
Court documents state that he started screaming on the other line that the woman killed their son.
Neighbors also reported hearing him in distress, yelling things like, “she killed him! She killed him!” over and over again.
When they arrived, police said the 45-year-old woman, Joelene Rodriguez, answered the door and was on the phone with 988, the suicide and crisis line.
According to court documents, her wrists had dry blood on them.
She was put into handcuffs, and police searched the apartment.
Court documents state they found a little boy who was face down in a tub of bloody water with a noticeable stab wound to the chest.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to court documents, the medical examiner found several injuries on the child’s body.
The medical examiner said that the child’s Achilles tendon had been cut, caused by someone “sawing away” at his heel, causing him to become immobile.
There were three wounds on the child’s chest. The major stab wound hit his lung and went through to his back chest cavity, but missed major arteries, according to court documents. This wound would have made it difficult for the child to breathe or cry out, and it did not kill him.
“All of these injuries happened prior to [the child] dying, according to Dr. Mazrim. He explained that although these injuries were substantial, [the child] would not have died quickly. He estimated that [the child] would have died within an hour which would have provided Joelene plenty of time to call for help and get her 4-year-old son medical attention,” court documents said.
Rodriguez was the child’s primary guardian. The court documents state that the child was non-verbal and has autism.
While handcuffed, Rodriguez allegedly told police, “they made me do it. He’s gone.”
She also allegedly told police that she “was told she needed to sacrifice the child to protect her and her family,” and put water in the tub to make things “comforting” for the child, according to court documents filed last week.
“Not only did the defendant murder her own child, but she did so in a way that prolonged [the child’s] pain and suffering. She inflicted torturous non-fatal stab wounds that took time for [the child] to ultimately die from,” prosecutors allege in court documents.
Rodriguez has been charged with first-degree murder. Bail has been set at $5 million.
According to the King County Prosecutor’s Office, she only has prior criminal convictions for DUI and driving with a suspended license.
If you or a loved one is struggling, you are not alone. Help is available 24/7 with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can call or text the number to speak with a trained crisis counselor. 988 connects you with counselors and local resources without relying on law enforcement or emergency medical intervention unless necessary.
©2025 Cox Media Group
