IN Las Vegas a man accused of killing his girlfriend’s four-year-old son and keeping his body in a freezer in a garage for six weeks has appeared in court for the first time.
On Wednesday, 35-year-old Brandon Tozland appeared in court in Las Vegas, where he faces two charges of kidnapping and an additional charge of open murder in the death of a four-year-old boy, identified as Mason Dominguez by family members.
Mason’s body was found in the freezer at his mother’s northeast home in Las Vegas, located at 4300 on Saddle Brook Park Drive.
She sent a note to school with her eldest daughter saying that Tozeland had become abusive weeks ago and that she was being held against her will at home.
Prosecutors revealed in court that the letter, written by the mother, also stated that she had not seen her son since December 11 and that “the young child may have died.”
Toseland is scheduled to appear in court next Monday, February 28. He was enrolled at the Clark County Detention Center.
Speaking to DailyMail.com, a Toseland neighbor said his family looked normal and he was shocked to learn the sad news.
– Only I have seen [Toseland] in passing letting and picking up children from school. [He] I looked like a normal person from what I saw … I’ve never seen my mother in person except my wife, “said Brian Izley.
Brandon Tozland appears at the Las Vegas Regional Justice Center after his arrest Tuesday
Mason’s body was found in the freezer at his mother’s Las Vegas home after she sent a note to school with her eldest daughter (left) saying she was being held against her will at home.
Brandon Towsland, 35, faces two counts of kidnapping and an additional charge of open murder in connection with the death of his girlfriend’s 4-year-old son
Mason’s mother (left) told police during an interview that she had been abused by Toseland and had been instructed not to leave the house, not to enter the garage and to ask about her missing child.
Toseland was arrested Tuesday after a Clark County Police officer contacted the Las Vegas Subway Police Department shortly before 9 a.m.
After school officials informed police of the letter, Mason and Tozeland’s mother, who is not the father of any children, was detained at a bus stop around 10 a.m. Law and crime reported.
The mother told staff during an interview that she had been abused by Toseland and had been instructed not to leave the house, not to enter the garage and not to ask about her missing child, police said.
She went on to say that she believed her son, whom she had not seen since December 11, was dead.
After receiving a search warrant, police found Mason’s body in a freezer held in the garage around 4:30 p.m.
Prosecutors revealed that the preschool child was found with visible injuries, but the cause of death was not revealed pending the results of the autopsy.
No indictment has been filed against the boy’s mother.
“Anyone who goes through situations where you feel you can’t handle a child, you can take that child to the hospital, you can take that child to the fire department, you can call 211, there are a lot of resources out there.” said Lieutenant Ray Spencer after Toseland’s arrest.
Brandon Tozland, 35, (pictured in this undated photo) faces two counts of kidnapping and an additional charge of open murder in the death of four-year-old Mason Dominguez
Prosecutors have revealed that the preschool child (pictured) was found with visible injuries, but the cause of death has not been revealed pending autopsy results.
Mason Dominguez (pictured) is now remembered by family members who said that a preschooler “is like any other 4-year-old – happy, sweet, intelligent, very friendly!”
The young boy was found dead in a freezer after officers from the Las Vegas Police Department searched the residence
Patrol officers saw the mother and boyfriend leave the house and detained them before detectives began searching the house at about 4:30 p.m.
Lt. Ray Spencer of the Las Vegas Homicide Squad said the mother told police she had not seen her child alive since Dec. 11.
Young Mason is now remembered by broken-hearted family members who said that a preschooler “is like any other 4-year-old, happy, sweet, intelligent, very friendly!”
“On February 22, 2022, my family discovered that our sweet Mason had been killed by people he thought he could trust,” his relatives said in a statement. GoFundMe for his funeral expenses.
“When my family or I couldn’t see Mason, he and his sister missed us a lot, but knowing that we would never see Mason again hurt the whole family 1,000 times more. We always hoped we could see him again, at least once … just to hug him? Kiss him and tell him that we love him … To know that Mason was loved, he will live through all his family members, friends, his father and most importantly his older sister.
According to the fundraiser, Mason’s father died of pneumonia last year at the age of 29, and the family plans to buy the burial site right next to his father.
A neighbor said KVVU-TV: “We were a quiet neighborhood. We are a new, quiet neighborhood.
They went on to say that they contacted HOA this month after they became suspicious of a U-Haul truck parked in front of the house where the boy was found.
The neighbor added: “Within the last week, week and a half. It was in front of this house and we were connecting with the HOA again.
Toseland has data on previous nonviolent arrests. In 2010, he was arrested for driving at speeds of more than 70 miles per hour under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
He was found guilty and convicted. In 2011, he was again found guilty of drunk driving.