Death of 3-year-old in Las Vegas ruled homicide
The death of a 3-year-old boy in May in central Las Vegas, initially reported by his father to police as a drowning, was ruled a homicide Tuesday.
Dominick Degraffenreid died at University Medical Center on May 12 of multiple blunt force injuries, according to the Clark County coroner’s office.
Las Vegas police arrested his father, 28-year-old Brandon Nicholson, the same day after discounting his story that Dominick had drowned in a bathtub that afternoon. He faces a first-degree murder charge and two counts of child abuse or neglect resulting in substantial bodily harm.
Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to a home on the 4600 block of Vegas Drive to investigate the reported drowning. Dominick had bruises to the face, arms, fingers, genitals, legs, feet and back, according to Nicholson’s arrest report.
Nicholson told police that he typically disciplined his son by “popping him in the face” and spanking him with belts, fly swatters, phone charger cords and a 24-inch dog toy made of hard plastic. Nicholson said he beat Dominick three to four times per week but sometimes every day, the report said.
Nicholson is scheduled to appear in court Thursday morning for his arraignment, jail and court records show.
Contact Rio Lacanlale at rlacanlale@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @riolacanlale on Twitter.