10-month-old Las Vegas boy’s death ruled a homicide

The Clark County coroner ruled that the injuries that led to the death of a 10-month-old boy in October were caused by physical abuse.

Atlas Culliver was hospitalized Oct. 20 after he was found unresponsive inside a home, according to a report from the Clark County Department of Family Services. He died the following day.

The coroner determined Culliver died from abusive head trauma with other significant conditions, including acute battered child syndrome. His death was ruled a homicide.

His mother, 25-year-old Jonaee Brown, was arrested Nov. 1 on a murder charge.

In an interview with Las Vegas abuse and neglect detectives, Brown said that she grew frustrated while trying to teach Atlas how to walk on Oct. 20, but “never took it too far.”

“If I did go too far, I didn’t mean to do it,” she then said, according to arrest report.

County records show the child’s family had been investigated by Child Protective Services at least once for allegations of abuse before his death, but the allegations were not substantiated.

Contact Max Michor at 702-383-0365 or mmichor@reviewjournal.com. Follow @MaxMichor on Twitter. Review-Journal staff writer Rio Lacanlale contributed to this report.