MCKINNEY, TX – Authorities in North Texas have arrested two people after a 3-year-old boy was hospitalized with devastating injuries, leaving him on life support and sparking a complex investigation into allegations of severe child abuse.
On October 14, first responders were called to a McKinney hospital after Christopher Thomas Alexander, 30, arrived with his girlfriend’s son, Dawson Cain Zamora. Alexander allegedly told hospital staff that he heard a noise and discovered the boy injured, according to police documents. Doctors swiftly determined Dawson’s injuries were extensive, including a brain bleed, multiple bruises at different stages of healing, and trauma to his chest and abdomen. Medical professionals found the severity of Dawson’s condition inconsistent with what could have resulted from a single impact or fall.
Medical personnel notified local law enforcement, prompting an immediate investigation. Police subsequently arrested Alexander on October 16. He is facing several charges, including injury to a child causing serious bodily injury, stalking, and tampering with evidence. Jail records confirm Alexander remains in custody without bond.
The child’s mother, Chelsea Rene Berg, 30, was also taken into custody that day, charged with injury to a child. She was released after posting bond, with legal conditions prohibiting her from contacting her son. However, after Dawson’s condition dramatically worsened, Berg’s lawyers successfully petitioned for her to be able to visit him in the hospital.
Detectives interviewed Berg, who stated that she had left Dawson in Alexander’s care as she went to work on the morning of the incident. She told authorities that she received a midday message from Alexander about Dawson eating lunch, followed by a frantic call later, urging her to meet them at the hospital. Berg insisted her son showed no visible injuries when she left home that day.
Alexander, for his part, declined to speak with investigators at the hospital and retained legal counsel. Court documents show that when Berg was shown photographs of Dawson’s injuries, she maintained those wounds were not present when she departed for work.
The investigation took a tragic turn when, just a few days after arriving at the hospital, Dawson was declared to have no brain activity. By October 19, Berg obtained an emergency court order permitting her to say goodbye to her son before doctors removed him from life support.
Family members have since started an online fundraiser to help cover medical expenses and future rehabilitation efforts for the boy. The organizer described Dawson as the victim of a brutal and ongoing case of abuse, noting that doctors anticipated a prolonged recovery if he survived, given the scale of his physical and emotional wounds.
Dawson’s father, Dahrian Zamora, who lives in Amarillo, said in an interview that doctors found clear evidence of previous abuse, with bruising in various stages of healing observed in hospital scans. The father said medical staff were able to temporarily revive Dawson, but he emphasized the case involved more than just a single incident.
Court records show Dahrian Zamora has since gained custody of Dawson and his sibling. He has claimed that Berg was aware Alexander posed a potential threat to their children, citing Alexander’s criminal history, including a recent indictment for stalking and prior convictions for theft and unlawful restraint. At the time of Dawson’s injury, Alexander was reportedly wearing an ankle monitor.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the case as both Berg and Alexander await further legal proceedings. The Collin County Sheriff’s Office has not released further details about the status of the criminal charges.