FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

March 27, 2026 

OKLAHOMA CITY – An Oklahoma County jury convicted Antonio Rogers, 18, in the 2024 murder of Joel Rodriguez. 

After the conclusion of the trial this week, Rogers was found guilty of Murder in the First Degree, Larceny from a Person, and Possession of a Firearm After Juvenile Adjudication.

The charges stem from the fatal shooting of Rodriguez, 28, on August 10, 2024, at a hotel near the 5400 block of N. Lincoln Blvd. in Oklahoma City. Investigators learned through witness statements and evidence found at the scene that Rodriguez was asleep in a public area of the hotel with his phone out. Rodriguez woke up and realized his phone was missing. He asked Rogers if he had his phone and Rogers shot him three times.

“This was a senseless act of violence that took a man’s life over something as trivial as a cell phone,” said Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Zemp Behenna. “Joel Rodriguez should still be here. We are grateful to the jury for holding this defendant accountable and to the prosecutors and investigators who worked to secure justice in this case.”

The jury recommended life in prison on the murder conviction, along with one year on the larceny conviction and one year on the firearm conviction. Formal sentencing is scheduled for May 14, 2026.

###