3-Year-Old Boy Kentre Baker Passes Away After Incident Involving Police – Now Mother Seeks Answers

A Las Vegas police response ended in tragedy, leaving a boy dead. Conflicting accounts of what happened have sparked questions from witnesses and family.

Hours before dawn, officers were dispatched to an apartment complex along South Maryland Parkway. Authorities say the call involved a volatile domestic situation that escalated quickly.

The encounter ended with the deaths of a father and his young son. What happened in those final moments is now being sharply questioned by a key witness.

A Late-Night Call That Turned Deadly

According to News 3 Las Vegas, Raneka Pate called police to the Parkside Villas apartment complex on South Maryland Parkway around 1:20 a.m. on February 3, 2026, after a domestic dispute involving her child's father, Quinton Baker.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) said officers were dispatched on a report of a man battering a woman and attempting to take a juvenile from an apartment.

While officers were en route, police said they were advised the suspect had fired a gun in the parking lot.

Investigators said Quinton later exited the apartment holding Kentre and did not comply with officers' verbal commands to surrender.

"The suspect approached the officers still holding the juvenile hostage, causing our officers to discharge their firearms, striking the suspect," LVMPD Capt. Ryan Wiggins said. "Simultaneously, the suspect, while pointing his firearm in the direction of the juvenile, discharged his firearm."

Police said officers shot and killed Quinton during the confrontation. Investigators reported Kentre was struck by gunfire from his father's firearm. After the shooting, officers rendered medical aid. Kentre was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, while Quinton died at the scene.

What police say happened next is now being openly challenged by the person who says she had a clear view of the final moments.

A Mother Who Says She Saw Everything

Raneka said she witnessed the entire encounter while seated inside a patrol car and strongly disputes the police account. She also repeatedly asked officers to de-escalate the situation and avoid using lethal force because her son was involved.

Describing what she says happened moments before the shooting, Raneka recalled:

"He did not have a weapon. He was carrying my son walking towards the officers, all I wanna say seven or eight officers had their weapons fully drawn. They were demanding him to stop, but he was not. He didn't, he was not armed, and he had my son, so, he didn't stop, and that's when the officers all open fired. Not one shot, but they all shot multiple times."

She also rejected police claims in an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, again denying that Quinton had a gun when he encountered officers. "I watched their last moments," she told the newspaper. "And my whole family was taken from me in an instant."

As the investigation continues, the family says the loss has left them struggling to cope with both grief and unanswered questions.

A Family Asking for Help

As investigators continue reviewing the reported shooting, the family is mourning both Quinton and Kentre. A GoFundMe page describes Quinton as a devoted father who had recently graduated from barber school and was preparing to begin his career.

"Quinton was not perfect, but he was loved by so many, and he loved his son more than life itself. He was the best dad. The love he had for Kentre was unreal, and watching him be a father made me so incredibly proud," said Cydney Napier, who organized the page.

The fundraiser also stated that the family is facing compounded loss. Quinton's parents had already lost their daughter, Reece, on February 8, 2023, and are now grieving the deaths of both their son and grandson just days before the anniversary of her passing.

The fundraiser says donations will help cover Quinton's cremation, travel expenses for family members, funeral arrangements for Kentre, and counseling support for Raneka.

For the mother at the center of the case, financial help is only part of what she says she is seeking as she waits for clarity about how the night unfolded.

As of this writing, the fundraiser has exceeded its goal. More than $7,200 has been raised toward the original $5,000.