Las Vegas mom says police ignored pleas to search house where her son was found dead in pool... 12 hours too late
TayShaun Todd, 20, was discovered floating in the backyard pool of a home in Las Vegas on June 17 after he attended a party - the second gathering he had ever been to in his adult life.
His mother, Christina Todd-Dunn, called police that same day to report her son missing after he failed to return home once she learned the party was shut down by authorities.
Todd-Dunn called and begged police officers four times to go to the property and search the home for Todd, but by the time they did, it was too late.
'I'm standing there telling the officer something is wrong. I am so frustrated. I'm so hurt. I'm angry. I feel like I've never even had to call the police but the one time I needed them, they couldn't come through for me,' she told KTNV.
'I shouldn't have had to call them four times. I shouldn't have to sit out there for hours. I shouldn't have been told this wasn't a priority. Obviously, they didn't do their job and for all we know, he could have been out there in the pool the whole time, so that's how I know they did not search,' Todd-Dunn added.
Her son's deceased body was reported to police around 12.29pm by Lazaro Jonathan Cesar, the man accused of hosting the illegal party.
Todd had been in the pool at least 12 hours, the Clark County Coroner's Office told Christina.
Although his official cause of death has not yet been determined, police called it a 'possible drowning.'
Todd-Dunn even went to the house herself after her son's friends left the party with her son's wallet, keys and cellphone before alerting her of what happened to him, she told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
After racing to the home in her pajamas, she asked a man there where her son was, but he soon instructed her to leave, Todd-Dunn recalled.
Hours later, the police finally arrived and started searching the property, but according to Todd-Dunn they did not conduct a thorough search.
Instead, the officers asked her several questions about Todd, including if she knew if he was drinking or doing drugs at the party.
She immediately defended her son, noting that he would never do that and that he was a good child.
Todd-Dunn told the outlet: 'Do you really think I'd be out here in my pajamas looking for him if I thought that was the norm?
'I could have rolled back over and went to sleep, like, "Oh, he'll turn up." But I knew something had to be wrong, because that's not him.'
The same day Todd's body was discovered, Cesar was taken into custody for allegedly hosting the illegal house party, police said.
A party attendee told police tickets for the party, advertised as an 'open bar pool party,' were being sold for $15 per person, per the outlet.
On the night of the bash, police were called to the same property around 10pm due to reports of a party.
Cesar told police he hosted a pool party and police had arrived to break it up. He said he later discovered the 20-year-old's lifeless body the next day.
Cesar has been charged with two misdemeanors - operating as a professional promoter without a valid license and engaging in business without a promoter license.
He was released on his own recognizance that same day. Cesar is set to appear in court on August 20.
It is unclear if any additional charges will be brought forward in connection to Todd's death.
Todd has just turned 20 in November 2024, according to his mother's Facebook page.
He was a student at the College of Southern Nevada, where he studied sports management.
Todd was set to start a teaching assistant job at a school in Henderson County in August, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
He was also an older sibling to his two older brothers, who Todd-Dunn said have been taking the loss extremely hard.
'They feel like they lost their best friend, their hero,' she shared.
A celebration of life was held for Todd on Saturday in Detroit, Michigan. Another memorial service was held for him on Friday in Las Vegas.
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