A Nevada mother watched as her boyfriend poured boiling hot water on her 2-year-old son and repeatedly smacked him as punishment for being “disrespectful” on the weekend of his death, an arrest report alleged.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the report stated that Cassie Smith, 20, “did nothing” to help her son as Jason Oxford, 41, repeatedly poured hot water on Daniel Theriot at their apartment on September 1. Oxford and Smith reportedly told police that the toddler was dead the next morning.
Oxford’s mother claimed she told Oxford to stop smacking Theriot, who police said was placed in the corner. Oxford and Smith left the apartment for 45 minutes, and Oxford’s mother said she let Theriot lie down. After the pair returned, Oxford’s mother said her son continued to hit the toddler, the newspaper reported.
The following morning, Smith found her son dead. The pair is accused of placing him in some sort of fiberglass shell and dumping his body near Lake Mead Recreational Park.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Smith reported her son missing that morning, claiming he vanished in Sunset Park while she took a phone call. It was the following morning, September 3, when police found the toddler’s body outside the confines of the park.
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Police were suspicious of the mother’s story early on. For one, parkgoers didn’t recall seeing the mother and son together. While Smith reportedly claimed she took Theriot to Sunset Park to feed ducks, authorities noted that Lorenzi Park was within walking distance.
KNXV reported that an autopsy revealed that the 2-year-old had multiple contusions, abrasions, and blunt force injuries—including rib fractures and a subdural hemorrhage. A cause of death is pending.
Smith and Oxford are charged with murder by child abuse charges in connection with Theriot’s death. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for November 26.
[Featured Image: Daniel Theriot/Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department]
