Dawson Zamora’s father says the little boy clung to life long enough to share one last birthday with him — a heartbreaking detail that has become the center of a grieving family’s plea for answers after the toddler died following injuries investigators say were inflicted while he was left in the care of his mother’s boyfriend.
Dahrian Zamora, speaking publicly with a voice full of sorrow, confirmed his son passed away on December 7 at 10:42 a.m., the same day he himself marks a birthday — and said Dawson “refused to go until then.” He told the community he wanted to speak directly to prevent rumors and to make clear the family’s pain as authorities continue a probe that already includes arrest affidavits investigators describe as deeply painful.
Court records and police statements say the boy was brought to a McKinney emergency room unresponsive after being left with Christopher Alexander, the mother’s boyfriend. Hospital staff found severe, inconsistent injuries — bleeding on the brain, wounds to the chest and stomach, bruises in differing stages of healing and other trauma — injuries that medical staff and police say did not line up with Alexander’s reported explanation that he heard a “thud.”
Both the child’s mother, identified in court as Chelsea Berg, and Alexander were arrested and initially charged with Injury to a Child; Alexander also faces a stalking charge tied to previous incidents. With Dawson’s death, authorities have moved to escalate the legal response, with Berg now facing capital murder charges and law enforcement signaling that prosecutors will seek the highest-level charges made available given the alleged failure to protect the child.
The arrest affidavit that local outlets have reviewed paints a grim picture: text messages and other evidence indicating prior bruising and injuries, a pattern that family members and investigators say should have raised alarms earlier. Some messages reportedly show Berg confronting Alexander about past bruises on Dawson — details that prosecutors and advocates say speak to a pattern of neglect or omission as much as active harm.
Family and community response has been immediate and raw. Vigils, online fundraisers and an outpouring of support for Dahrian and his daughter Harper have swelled as neighbors, strangers and advocacy groups press for accountability and better protections for children. Dahrian thanked medical staff for their efforts — and said he was grateful he was allowed to hold Dawson in his final moments — while pleading for prayers as the family moves forward, “decision by decision.”
Local prosecutors and the McKinney Police Department say the investigation remains active; they’re preparing to release a multi-page affidavit that officials warned contains painful specifics, and they’ve declined to provide additional details while the case is pending. Those developments have left the Zamora family and the wider community watching each public filing and statement closely, seeking not only answers but a sense that the system will follow through.
Friends and advocates have criticized actions taken after the injury — including reports that Berg had gone free on bond at one point and sought authority over medical decisions — arguing those moves raised difficult questions about the protections afforded to injured children and the legal mechanisms intended to prevent further harm. Supporters of Dahrian say the family now hopes the courts will deliver accountability proportionate to their loss.
This is a case that has exposed raw community grief and the knot of legal, medical and parental decisions that follow a child’s severe injury. As investigators prepare charging documents and prosecutors weigh the next steps, the simplest facts remain: a father grieving a son he says “should have been protected,” a community demanding answers, and a young life ended far too soon.
The post “He Held On for One Last Birthday”: 3-Year-Old Dawson Zamora Dies After Alleged Abuse; Mother and Boyfriend Face Escalated Charges appeared first on Tripplenews.
