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Florida Stepmother Charged After 5-Year-Old Drowns in Contaminated Ditch
A 25-year-old Florida woman, Cheyenne Star Fite, has been arrested and charged with aggravated manslaughter by child abuse following the tragic drowning of her 5-year-old stepson, Riley Scot Hogeback. The incident occurred on October 11, 2024, at a property in Kissimmee, Florida, where the boy drowned in a manmade ditch filled with waste runoff from a pigpen.
Incident Details
Deputies from the Osceola Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call about a drowning at a home on North Kenansville Road. Upon arrival, first responders found the boy unresponsive, naked, and covered in mud. He was transported to HCA Florida Osceola East Emergency, where he was pronounced dead shortly after.
According to investigators, Fite claimed she had been watching her stepson and his two siblings, ages 3 and 5, while allowing them to play outside due to a lack of electricity in the home. Fite said she had turned her back for approximately five minutes to fold clothes inside a trailer when she heard her daughter yelling that her brother was under the water. Initially dismissing the cries, Fite later discovered the boy submerged in the manmade hole and pulled him out.
The Ditch and Circumstances
The ditch, reportedly dug earlier that day by a family friend to drain rainwater, measured about 15 feet by 10 feet and was 7 feet deep. Located near a pigpen, the hole contained water contaminated with fecal matter and urine. Police noted the distance from the ditch to the trailer was approximately the length of a football field, making adequate supervision unlikely.
Adding to the tragedy, one of the victim’s siblings told authorities that Fite had punished the boy earlier in the day by leaving him outside naked for allegedly hurting a chicken. The sibling also claimed that Fite was asleep when the drowning occurred, contradicting Fite’s account.
Court Proceedings and Statements
Riley’s father told police he had suspicions about Fite’s supervision, expressing outrage over the dug ditch and its role in his son’s death. The autopsy revealed the child’s lungs contained mud consistent with the ditch water, confirming drowning as the cause of death.
Fite has been held in the Osceola County Jail without bond and is scheduled for a court appearance on Thursday.
Tribute to Riley Scot Hogeback
An online obituary described Riley as a mischievous but sweet boy with a smile that could light up any room. “Even in challenging moments, Riley’s spirit remained unbreakable, and his love for life inspired all who knew him,” the dedication read.
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