Las Vegas police have arrested a 35-year-old man after allegedly finding the body of a young boy in a freezer in his garage.
According to court documents, Brandon Toseland, identified as the boyfriend of the child's mother, faces two counts of kidnapping, according to court records. A Las Vegas judge said Wednesday that murder charges will also be added.
In court, the body was identified as belonging to a 4-year-old boy named Mason Dominguez. Prosecutors said the child had visible injuries. However, an official autopsy is pending.
Boy's Sister Gave Mother's Note to Teacher Asking to Send Help Home
The boy was found after the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said the child's mother sent a letter to school with an older sibling to give to their teacher. According to police, the note reportedly stated the mother was being held against her will, and she didn't know where her preschool-age child was. The note said she assumed the boy was dead.
After speaking with officers, the woman, who is the mother of both children, told police she last saw her son on Dec. 11. She told investigators she had been abused by her live-in boyfriend and was asking him where her child was, then believed the child was deceased. She told police she was not allowed to leave the house or go into the garage.
Toseland Tied, Handcuffed the Mother, Wouldn't Let Her See Mason
According to Toseland's arrest report, the mother said her Mason was ill on Dec. 11, but Toseland, whom she was in a relationship with for 11 months, told her she couldn't get the boy help before barricading the door.
After several days, Toseland told her he "could not show Mason's body because his freedom would be taken away," according to the report. When she was allowed back into the room, a suitcase was missing.
She told police her boyfriend would bind and tie her, preventing her from leaving or movement. She said she felt she was not free to leave, and he took away her phone. If the two left the home, she said she would be handcuffed to the vehicle.
The mother later told police he told her the boy was dead, and said it was an accident. Toseland reportedly claimed the child was covered in vomit and was not breathing. He claimed to have attempted CPR, but was unsuccessful. Police said no attempt to call for help was made.
After Toseland's arrest, police executed a search warrant at the home, and in the garage, found the dead child in a freezer. The boy's body was inside a trash bag, hidden under a false cardboard bottom and multiple food items.
