Mom poisons her daughter and starts dating men to have access to their kids while out on bond awaiting sentencing

August 13, 2024 Gloria Shaw

A 32-year-old Texas mother, Jesika Jones, has been sentenced to 60 years in prison for intentionally poisoning her 4-year-old daughter with excessive amounts of Benadryl and other drugs in order to fake a seizure disorder.

The sentence was handed down by 485th District Court Judge Steve Jumes, who described Jones as a “determined recidivist” who posed an ongoing threat to children.

Jones had reached a plea agreement in January, pleading guilty to one count of injury to a child with serious bodily or mental injury and abandoning or endangering a child with reckless criminal negligence.

Despite this, Judge Jumes expressed deep concern that Jones continued to engage in similar behavior by getting close to other men and targeting their children, even as she awaited sentencing.

“Unfortunately, I believe you are a determined recidivist that as recently as a month ago was persisting in the behavior to which you pled guilty in January and are asking for mercy,” the judge said.

“Because you are a determined recidivist and because I believe that you have a knack for finding situations where you can have access to children, I’m not confident giving you a prison sentence simply to [go] beyond a traditional dating range will protect the public.”

The charges against Jones relate specifically to the poisoning of one of her five children, though authorities believe all of her children may have been victimized in similar ways. Jones was initially arrested over two years ago but continued to poison children while out on bond.

Detective Michael Weber of the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office testified that Jones, as recently as July, was caught giving medication to a 12-year-old girl who was not her daughter, claiming to be a nurse and causing the child to feel dizzy.

Jones’ estranged husband addressed the court, representing their children and described the profound impact of her actions. “What you did was not just an act of cruelty; it was a devastating assault on their innocence,” Derek Jones said.

“Instead of exploring new places, making friends and engaging in adventures, their lives were dominated by the restraints of fake sickness. Every playdate was replaced with a hospital visit. Every carefree moment overshadowed by caution and fear.”

The case against Jones began on June 19, 2022, when she brought her daughter to the emergency room at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, claiming the child had chronic seizures.

Medical staff discovered high levels of anti-allergy medication in the child’s system, indicative of Benadryl poisoning. Despite denying any wrongdoing, Jones eventually admitted to giving her daughter several adult Benadryl tablets on multiple occasions, along with other medications.

During the investigation, police found evidence of Benadryl, Trazodone and Hydroxyzine in the child’s urine. Doctors testified that the child showed signs of severe Benadryl poisoning, which placed her at risk of seizures, cardiac arrhythmia, difficulty breathing and coma—all potentially fatal.

Jones, who referred to herself as a “habitual liar” during the police interview, eventually broke down and admitted her actions, expressing a deep sense of self-loathing. “I think I’m a horrible person,” she said, according to the police affidavit. “I don’t love myself. I don’t like who I am. I’m tired of living life like this. I’m tired of hurting people. I don’t know. I really don’t.”

TOP STORIES:

Jones’ sentencing marks the end of a disturbing case of child endangerment, with a prison term that reflects the severity of her crimes and the ongoing risk she poses to others.