A 5-year-old boy tragically lost his life in a Florida home after being left outside as punishment, where he drowned in a manmade ditch filled with feces and urine. The incident occurred on October 11, 2024, at a residence in Kissimmee, Florida. The boy, later identified as Riley Scot Hogeback, was found unresponsive and naked, covered in mud, after authorities responded to a call about a drowning.
The child’s stepmother, 25-year-old Cheyenne Star Fite, has been arrested and charged with aggravated manslaughter by child abuse. According to police reports, Fite was responsible for supervising Riley and his two siblings, ages 3 and 5, when the incident occurred. Fite claimed that she allowed the children to play outside because the property had no electricity at the time. The yard was muddy due to rain from Hurricane Helene, and the children were reportedly “entertaining themselves in the mud.”
Fite stated that she briefly turned her back to fold clothes inside the trailer, only to later hear her 5-year-old daughter yell that Riley was “under the water.” Initially, Fite did not believe her daughter, continuing with her task. However, after some time, she realized that Riley was missing and discovered him submerged in the manmade drainage hole, which was about 7 feet deep and filled with water runoff from a nearby pigpen. The hole had been dug earlier in the day by a family friend to drain excess water from the property.
The hole, which measured approximately 15 feet by 10 feet, was located near a pigpen, and the water inside it was contaminated with what police described as an odor consistent with fecal matter and urine. Fite claimed that she could hear the children from where she was folding clothes, but investigators later determined that the hole was about the length of a football field from the trailer, making it unlikely that Fite could have properly supervised the children.
When Fite realized Riley was in the hole, she jumped in and pulled him out. She said that the boy did not know how to swim and that she was unable to call 911 because her phone was allegedly in the hole. Fite reportedly yelled for help, and her mother came to assist. Despite their efforts, Riley was pronounced dead at the hospital later that evening.
Riley’s father, who was working at the time of the incident, expressed his anger and disbelief over the situation. He said he was unaware that a hole had been dug on the property and was furious that it had become the location where his son drowned. Fite had been responsible for watching the children, and the father voiced concerns about her ability to properly supervise them.
Further investigation revealed that Riley’s death was a result of drowning, with authorities noting that his lungs were filled with brown and green mud. One of Riley’s siblings told police that Fite had left him outside naked as a form of punishment earlier that day for hurting a chicken. The child also stated that Fite was asleep in bed while Riley was drowning in the hole.
Fite is currently being held without bond at the Osceola County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court for a hearing. The case has raised concerns about the adequacy of supervision and the conditions under which the child was left outside. The tragedy has left a community reeling, as Riley was described by family and friends as a sweet and mischievous boy who could always make people laugh. His obituary described him as someone who found joy in the simplest things and whose spirit remained unbreakable even in challenging times.
