Police: Dad suspected in slaying had reportedly thrown infant weeks earlier

By Brianna Santiago

Published Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2015 | 8:20 p.m.

Updated Thursday, Aug. 6, 2015 | 3:26 p.m.

A Las Vegas mother of two came home from working a late shift Saturday night at Wal-Mart and found her 14-month-old child home alone and her 2-month-old missing, according to North Las Vegas Police.

Her fiance, Mason Henderson, had been watching the couple’s children that night in the 3800 block of Craig Crossing Drive, near Craig Road and Allen Lane, and he, too, was gone, police said.

According to a North Las Vegas Police arrest report, red flags had already emerged regarding Henderson’s child care.

A few weeks earlier, Henderson, in an outburst of rage and frustration, reportedly threw the 2-month-old, who was in a swing, across the room, according to the arrest report.

An acquaintance of Henderson’s called police Sunday from Joker’s Bar & Grill on North Decatur Boulevard to report that Henderson said he needed a place to hide after killing someone, according to the arrest report.

Henderson showed up at the acquaintance’s apartment and said he planned to turn himself in to police, the report said. The acquaintance went to the bar to call police.

Police went to the acquaintance’s apartment, where Henderson was hiding, and ordered him out. Henderson had threatened to shoot himself and had cut his wrists, police said.

Henderson told police that his daughter was in a nearby dumpster, according to the arrest report.

Police found the 2-month-old child about 9 p.m. Sunday inside a gray diaper bag in a dumpster behind the Silver Mesa Recreation Center, according to the report.

Henderson was booked at the Las Vegas City Jail on counts of first-degree murder and child endangerment.

This story has been updated to correct information about an acquaintance who reportedly called police after speaking to the suspect.