Las Vegas police found the body of a preschool-aged boy in a freezer after an alarming note was found in his sister's school bag prompting a homicide investigation.
The child gave her primary school teacher a note from her mother that reportedly stated the mother was being held against her will and did not know where her son was, but she believed he may be dead.
On February 22 (local time), the teacher alerted the authorities and they began surveilling the family's home.
Later that day, police arrested Brandon Toseland, 35, when he was seen leaving his home.
A search of the house led to four-year-old Mason Dominguez's body being found in a freezer in their garage.
The woman, who has not been identified, said she hadn't seen her son since December 11 and alleged she had been domestically abused by Toseland for months.
"She said she was not allowed to leave the house alone or go into the garage," Las Vegas homicide Lieutenant Ray Spencer told USA Today.
"Such a tragic situation."
Detectives said they did not consider the children's mother to be involved in the homicide and the cause of death has not yet been determined.
Toseland's first court appearance was on Wednesday.
He has had a previous arrest for alleged possession of a dangerous weapon after police found metal knucles in his car, the prosecutor said.
Toseland was not the children's father. Mason's biological father died from pneumonia last year, and his family set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to buy the burial plot next to Mason's father.
"Mason Dominguez was just like any other 4 year old, happy, sweet, intelligent, very out-going!" Relative Ariel Lopez wrote on the fundraising page.
"My family had discovered our sweet Mason was murdered by people who, he thought he could trust," the page says. "He will be living on through all his family members, friends, his dad & most importantly his big sister."
His sister was placed into the care of relatives on Tuesday.
