Relatives of boy found in freezer battle over GoFundMe efforts

Close family members of 4-year-old Mason Dominguez, whose lifeless body was found in a freezer last week, have created a GoFundMe page to raise money for funeral services, their lawyer said, while they continue to ask people not to donate to a separate online fundraiser they say was created by an “estranged” family member.

Stephen Stubbs, a lawyer representing Mason’s mother, Dahsia Maldonado, said the family initially did not want to create a GoFundMe page after Mason was found dead on Feb. 22. But earlier this week, the boy’s aunt launched the fundraiser, which also acts as a memorial for Mason, with images of his smiling face that fill the page.

“The events leading up to and surrounding his death have caused unimaginable pain, grief, and heartache his mom and family hoped never to feel,” the page reads. “We are at a loss for words and have been going through many intense emotions over the past few days.”

Police uncovered the boy’s remains in a home on the 4300 block of Saddle Brook Park Drive after his sister came to school with multiple notes from their mother. The notes said that the mother was being held against her will and she had not seen Mason since Dec. 11. She suspected the boy was dead.

“Frankly, they were just traumatized,” Stubbs said. “They didn’t want the attention.”

Police later arrested 35-year-old Brandon Toseland on kidnapping and murder charges. He is being held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center.

Mason’s father, Eli Dominguez, died in January 2021 of an unknown respiratory disease, Stubbs said. The original GoFundMe page was created by members of his family, though Stubbs said they had been estranged for some time.

That page, which initially cast itself as the only verified GoFundMe page for the family, had raised more than $15,000 as of Thursday. But Stubbs, who identified himself as the media representative for the family, said they reported the page to GoFundMe and Las Vegas police.

A Metropolitan Police Department spokesman said Thursday that police told GoFundMe last week that Maldonado had not authorized the page. There is no current investigation, he said.

A GoFundMe spokeswoman said in a statement that the organization had verified both fundraisers.

“Our hearts go out to the Dominguez family,” she said. “Our Trust &Safety team is in touch with each individual fundraiser organizer, and a direct family member, and will ensure all funds raised honor the intent of the fundraiser.”

The original fundraising page has since been drastically changed to include a statement that has no direct reference to Mason or family members.

“We understand the sudden change was not our intentions and we tried to fight for what we wanted,” the page reads. “The GoFundMe will still be used in remembrance. No matter who says what, no one can take our love and sincerity away from us.”

The creator of that page has not responded to requests for comment.

In the meantime, Stubbs said, Mason’s mom and her family were overwhelmed with requests to help them or donate money. So they eventually decided to create a different GoFundMe page, which was being run by Denise Araujo, Mason’s great-aunt. The money will be used to fund Mason’s funeral arrangements, the page states.

“Losing a young child is never easy, and as a family, we are trying to navigate this new life without Mason one day at a time,” the page reads. “This is a devastating time for our family. We also know that our friends and community greatly grieve alongside us. Thank you all for the love, support, and much-needed prayers that have been poured out onto us.”

Contact Jonah Dylan at jdylan@reviewjournal.com. Follow @TheJonahDylan on Twitter.