A Texas mother and her boyfriend now face capital murder charges in connection with the tragic death of her 3-year-old son. The young boy passed away on Sunday after spending two arduous months on life support in the hospital.
Chelsea Rene Berg, along with her partner Christopher Thomas Alexander, was apprehended on Monday. Both are accused of committing capital murder against a child under the age of 10, as reported by KVII.
The heartbreaking news of Dawson Cain Zamora’s passing was shared on social media by his father, Dahrian Zamora, as noted by KDFW. In a poignant message, Dahrian expressed, “My son Dawson has passed away. He held on to spend one last birthday with me and refused to go until then.”
The distressing story began in October when Dawson was rushed to the hospital with horrific injuries. Medical examinations revealed severe brain trauma, including a brain bleed, as well as bruises in different stages of healing all over his body. Alarmingly, the child also suffered wounds to his chest and abdomen, alongside signs of anal trauma, as detailed by CrimeOnline.
Initially, Alexander faced charges of injuring a child, stalking, and tampering with or fabricating evidence with the intent to hinder an investigation. Berg, at that time, was charged with injury to a child. These charges have now escalated to capital murder following Dawson’s tragic death.
Alexander was charged at that time with injury to a child, stalking, and tampering/fabricating evidence with intent to impair an investigation. Berg was charged with injury to a child.
Court documents said that Alexander, 30, brought Dawson to the hospital on October 14, saying he heard a “thud” and found the boy. But hospital staff said the injuries the child suffered did not match Alexander’s claims and called police.
Police spoke with Berg, 30, who said she left the boy with Alexander at around 7:30 that morning, then later got a text from the boyfriend about Dawson eating lunch. But after lunch, she said, he gave her a panicked phone call saying he was taking the child to the hospital.
Berg said she rushed to the hospital, where Alexander told her the same story about the “thud” he told hospital staff. Police showed Berg photos of her son’s injuries, and she said he didn’t have them when she left for work that morning. Meanwhile, Alexander hired an attorney while at the hospital and refused to speak with police.
Alexander and Berg were both arrested two days later. Alexander has remained behind bars since his arrest on a $250,000 bond. Berg was released on a $100,000 bond at that time, but was taken back into custody after the boy’s death. Both are now being held without bond, jail records show.
