Crime
3-year-old Dawson Zamora dies following severe injuries inflicted by his mother’s boyfriend Christopher Alexander
McKinney, Texas — In an emotional public statement, Dahrian Zamora announced the tragic passing of his three-year-old son, Dawson, and provided critical updates regarding the criminal investigation surrounding the case.
Zamora stated that his son Dawson passed away on December 7 at 10:42 a.m. — a date that also marks his own birthday. He shared that Dawson “held on to spend one last birthday with me and refused to go until then,” describing the loss as a profound and unimaginable tragedy. “My heart is extremely heavy,” he said, emphasizing that he chose to address the public directly to prevent speculation and ensure accuracy as the case moves forward.
Zamora also confirmed that Dawson’s mother, Chelsea Berg, has been taken into custody and is now charged with Capital Murder.
He noted that authorities are pursuing the highest-level charge available due to what he described as Berg’s “lack of effort in protecting our children.” A six-page arrest affidavit is expected to become public, which he warned contains deeply painful details.
“My son didn’t have to die — this could have been prevented,” Zamora said. “He should have been protected, and now he was murdered. My three-year-old was murdered, and I’m left carrying this. I don’t know where to go from here.”
Zamora requested prayers and support for himself and his daughter Harper as they navigate the devastating loss. “I’m 31 years old having to bury my three-year-old son,” he said. “We shouldn’t have to bury our children. This is my first experience with death, and I’m taking it day by day, decision by decision.”
He extended his gratitude to family, friends, community members, and even strangers who have supported him, as well as to medical personnel who fought to save Dawson’s life and allowed him the opportunity to hold his son during his final moments. He also thanked law enforcement, prosecutors, and his attorney for their efforts in seeking justice.
Background on the Case
Prior to Dawson’s passing, the child had been hospitalized in critical condition following severe injuries allegedly inflicted by his mother’s boyfriend, Christopher Alexander.
Authorities report that Dawson was left alone with Alexander when the attack occurred. Alexander later brought the unresponsive child to a local emergency room, where medical staff found Dawson in cardiac arrest. After approximately eight minutes of CPR, doctors were able to revive him. He was subsequently airlifted to a Dallas hospital for specialized treatment, where he was placed on life support due to extensive brain swelling.
Early medical assessments indicated significant neurological damage, with the right side of Dawson’s brain reportedly unresponsive.
Both Berg and Alexander were previously arrested and charged with Injury to a Child, a felony under Texas law.
Alexander faces an additional stalking charge stemming from prior incidents. With Dawson’s death, charges have now escalated.
Prior to her arrest on capital murder charges, Berg had bonded out of jail and was reportedly seeking power of attorney over Dawson’s medical care. Family members and advocates raised concerns, alleging that she intended to keep Dawson on life support to prevent homicide charges if he succumbed to his injuries.
Critics described her actions as manipulative and inconsistent with her public image as a caring mother.
The McKinney Police Department and the District Attorney’s Office continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding Dawson’s death. Authorities have not released additional details as the case remains active.
Meanwhile, the community continues to rally around the Zamora family, holding vigils and advocating for accountability.
Zamora has requested continued prayers and support as he mourns the loss of his son and seeks justice on his behalf.
Crime
MIT Professor Nuno Loureiro Shooting Suspect Identified as 48-Year-Old Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente
Authorities have identified the suspect connected to both the Brown University mass shooting in Rhode Island and the fatal shooting of MIT professor Dr. Nuno F. G. Loureiro in Massachusetts as Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente, a 48-year-old Portuguese national, according to law enforcement sources.
Investigators say Neves-Valente was found deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound inside an Extra Space Storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, effectively ending a multistate manhunt.
Law enforcement officials confirmed that Neves-Valente was not a U.S. citizen, but a lawful permanent resident of the United States.
His last known address was in Miami, Florida. Police have stated that he took his own life, and the manner of death is being investigated in coordination with the medical examiner.
Sources familiar with the investigation say Neves-Valente had a storage unit registered in his name at the Salem facility, the same location where an abandoned vehicle linked to the case was previously discovered.
Surveillance video reportedly shows him entering the storage complex; however, investigators initially could not confirm whether he exited prior to being found deceased. Authorities have said agents had not entered the unit earlier in the operation as the scene remained part of an active investigation.
Investigators also revealed that the suspect used multiple sets of license plates on the same vehicle, a tactic authorities believe was intended to evade detection.
A witness-provided license plate in the Brown University shooting led investigators to trace the vehicle’s ownership and usage history, which ultimately connected it to the Brookline, Massachusetts homicide of Dr. Loureiro.
The vehicle was later located in Salem after a license plate reader flagged one of the associated plates, prompting a significant law enforcement response involving federal, state, and local agencies near the Salem, New Hampshire–Methuen, Massachusetts border.
During the search, Methuen police issued public alerts asking residents to report individuals who appeared out of place or were behaving suspiciously, while emphasizing that there was no ongoing threat to the general public.
Officials noted that the suspect appeared to have employed deliberate countermeasures, including changing plates across jurisdictions and attempting to avoid surveillance cameras and facial recognition systems.
Law enforcement sources further stated that Neves-Valente was originally from Portugal, the same country as Dr. Loureiro. Investigators are examining whether there is any significance to that shared background.
It is believed, though not yet publicly confirmed by authorities, that both men may have attended the same school in Lisbon earlier in their lives.
Additionally, Brown University officials have confirmed that Neves-Valente was previously a Brown student, attending the university from 2000 to 2001.
Records indicate he was enrolled exclusively in physics courses during that time.
The university believes he may have had classes in the same building where the shooting later occurred, though officials have stressed that this information is part of a broader factual review and not indicative of motive.
The Brown University shooting occurred shortly after 4 p.m. on Saturday, when a masked gunman dressed in black entered a lecture hall in the Barus and Holley Science Building and opened fire on students attending a final exam review session.
Two students were killed—MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, 18, of Virginia, and Ella Cook, 19, a sophomore from Alabama. Nine others were wounded, with six remaining hospitalized in stable condition at the time of the last update.
The attack triggered a massive response involving approximately 400 law enforcement officers, who conducted extensive searches of campus buildings and surrounding neighborhoods.
Although a 24-year-old man was briefly detained as a person of interest, forensic testing later cleared him, and he was released.
Separately, authorities in Brookline, Massachusetts, responded Monday night to the home of Dr. Loureiro, an MIT professor, who had been shot and later died from his injuries early Tuesday morning.
While officials initially stated there appeared to be no connection between the two cases, subsequent investigation revealed that both incidents were linked to the same suspect and vehicle.
The FBI, along with state and local agencies, continues to review evidence, digital records, and the suspect’s movements in the days leading up to both attacks.
Officials have emphasized that while the suspect is deceased, the investigation remains active as authorities work to establish motive, timeline, and any additional relevant connections.