A 25-year-old woman in Florida has been arrested in connection with the tragic death of her 5-year-old stepson, who drowned in a manmade ditch filled with filthy water near their home. Cheyenne Star Fite now faces a serious charge of aggravated manslaughter by child abuse, according to court records.
The heartbreaking incident happened on October 11, 2024, in Kissimmee, Florida. Around 5:30 p.m., deputies from the Osceola Sheriff’s Office responded to a call about a drowning at a property on North Kenansville Road. When first responders arrived, they found the young boy unresponsive, naked, and covered in mud. He was rushed to HCA Florida Osceola East Emergency, but doctors sadly pronounced him dead at 6:17 p.m., saying the cause of death was drowning.
During questioning, Fite reportedly told investigators she had been watching the boy and his two siblings, aged 3 and 5. She said the kids were playing outside in the yard because their home had no electricity. The yard was wet and muddy due to recent rains from Hurricane Helene. Fite admitted she turned her back on the children for about five minutes to fold clothes inside their trailer. Then, she heard her daughter yelling that her brother was under the water. At first, Fite didn’t believe her and continued folding clothes.
Earlier that day, a family friend had dug a large hole on the property to drain water. The hole, located next to a pigpen, was about 15 feet long, 10 feet wide, and 7 feet deep. It filled with runoff water from the pigpen, which investigators said smelled strongly of feces and urine. Fite eventually realized the boy was missing and found him submerged in the dirty water. She jumped in and pulled him out but said she couldn’t call 911 because her phone was in the water. Instead, she shouted for help, and her mother came to assist.
The boy’s father, who was at work when the tragedy happened, said Fite was responsible for supervising his son. He told police he had concerns about her ability to properly watch the children and was angry that the hole had been dug without his knowledge. Investigators later found that the hole was about the length of a football field away from where Fite said she was folding clothes. They said her view of the children would have been blocked, making it unlikely she could keep an eye on them.
Police also learned troubling details about the boy’s treatment before his death. One of his siblings told investigators that Fite had left the boy outside naked as punishment for hurting a chicken earlier in the day. The sibling also claimed Fite had been asleep in bed while her brother drowned.
An autopsy confirmed the boy had drowned, and his lungs were lined with brown and green mud. Nearby, investigators found a green boogie board floating in the dirty water.
Fite is now being held in the Osceola County Jail without bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.
The young boy, identified as Riley Scot Hogeback, was remembered in an online obituary as a “sweet but mischievous boy” with a contagious laugh that could light up a room. Despite the challenges he faced, Riley’s love for life and ability to find joy in the simplest things were described as an inspiration to everyone who knew him.
