An Osceola County stepmother is facing aggravated manslaughter charges after her 5-year-old stepson drowned in a water-filled ditch on their property. The boy, identified as Riley Hogeback, was found unresponsive on October 11 after what appears to be a tragic incident of neglect. According to WESH, the stepmother, Cheyenne Star Fite, was supposed to be supervising the child and his siblings when the drowning occurred.
During her arrest, which was made Tuesday, details emerged from the Osceola County Sheriff's Office that paint a harrowing scene. Found naked and covered in mud, the young boy was pulled from a ditch that was dug to alleviate flooding caused by Hurricane Milton. The water was contaminated with fecal matter and urine from a nearby pig pen. Arrest reports indicated that the view of the hazardous hole from Fite's trailer home was obstructed, raising doubts about her supervision at the time of the incident, as ClickOrlando reported.
An interview with WESH revealed that the boy's father, David Hogeback, has been left grappling with immense grief. "My son has lost his life, he could not live his life out. I prefer her to be in prison for every day he is not able to be here on this earth," Hogeback expressed. Fite's home, per the Osceola County Sheriff's Office, contained multiple safety hazards, such as knives and rusted metal, which could pose dangers to children.
Fite's initial explanation for the child being without clothes was that she was washing his clothing. However, this narrative was contested by her daughter, who suggested in an interview at the Child Advocacy Center in Kissimmee that (her brother) was naked while playing outside as a form of punishment because he had hurt a chicken earlier that day. Also, before calling 911 after finding the boy in the ditch, Fite talked with her mother. At the same time, her daughter said "her mother was in her bed sleeping" during the incident, according to the affidavit detailed by WESH.
The Florida Department of Children and Families has taken custody of Fite's other two children amid the ongoing investigation. Meanwhile, the area of the family’s property where the tragic incident took place is now marked with a small memorial for Riley. Fite is being held without bond, and further proceedings are expected to continue within the judicial system.
