Cheyenne Star Fite, Kissimmee, Florida stepmother causes 5 year old boy, Riley Scot Hogeback to drown after putting naked child in 7ft pit as punishment for hurting chicken.
A Florida stepmother has been accused of causing the death of a 5 year old boy after forcing the ‘naked’ child into a sewage filled pit as punishment for ‘hurting’ a chicken only for the boy to drown.
Cheyenne Star Fite, 25, was arrested Tuesday and charged with aggravated manslaughter by child abuse following the October death of Riley Scot Hogeback at a rural property in Kissimmee, Florida.
One of Riley’s siblings told investigators that Fite had stripped the boy naked and forced the five year old outside as punishment for allegedly hurting a chicken earlier that day, according to court documents cited by WESH.
The child also claimed Fite was sleeping in bed while Riley drowned – contradicting the stepmother’s story about folding clothes.
Responding emergency crews found Riley ‘unresponsive, naked and covered in mud’ after he plunged into a massive 15ft by 10ft hole that had been dug next to a pig pen.
The makeshift pit, which measured 7 feet deep, was filled with what police described as foul-smelling water contaminated with pig waste and sewage.
Despite being rushed to HCA Florida Osceola East Emergency, Riley was pronounced dead at 6:17 pm, FOX35 reported.
Medical examiners later found his lungs were ‘lined by brown and green mud.’
According to police records, Cheyenne Fite, was responsible for watching the child, as well as his two siblings, as they played in their home’s yard. At the time of the tragedy, the children’s father, David Hogeback, was working.
Following her arrest, police allege the stepmom’s negligence caused the 5 year old boy’s death.
The man-made ditch according to Fite had been dug out to relieve flooding on the family property.
Fite claimed she had merely turned her back ‘for five minutes’ to fold clothes while the children played in puddles left by Hurricane Helene.
She told police she initially ignored her 5-year-old daughter’s screams that Riley was ‘under the water.’
But investigators say the deadly pit was roughly a football field’s length from the trailer where she claimed to be doing chores.
Riley’s father told police he had no idea anyone had dug such a dangerous hole on his property and said he had previous concerns about Fite’s supervision of his son.
Fite, who is being held without bond at Osceola County Jail, is set to appear in court on Thursday. She currently remains held with no bond.
‘Cheyenne [Fite] stated as the kids were playing, she turned her back for approximately 5 minutes to fold clothes inside the trailer,’ an arrest affidavit stated.
‘All of a sudden, Cheyenne [Fite] hears her 5-year-old daughter yell, ‘[redacted] is under the water.’ Yet, Cheyenne [Fite] did not believe [her daughter] initially and continued her task.’
There was ‘an odor emanating from the water consistent with fecal matter and urine.’
‘There was a green child-size boogie board in the middle of the drainage ditch near the area where [the victim] was recovered,’ the affidavit continued.
According to his obituary, Rileys was a ‘vibrant and loving child of joy and laughter, filling the lives of all who knew him with boundless love and cherished memories.’
‘He was a sweet but mischievous boy, always ready with a laugh that could light up a room. Even in challenging moments, Riley’s spirit remained unbreakable, and his smile never waned. His love for life and his ability to find joy in the simplest of things were an inspiration to all who knew him.’
