Dad speaks about young son’s drowning that resulted in arrest of child's stepmother: 'Loving little boy'

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Published  December 18, 2024 10:29pm EST
FOX 35 Orlando
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Father speaks about 5-year-old son’s drowning

A father is sharing his heartbreak after losing his 5-year-old son, Riley Hogeback, in a drowning incident that has now led to criminal charges against the boy’s stepmother.

The Brief

    • Riley Hogeback, a 5-year-old boy, drowned in a drainage ditch in St. Cloud while under the care of his stepmother, Cheyenne Fite, who has been charged with his death. 
    • Investigators say Fite left Riley unsupervised as punishment, leading to the tragedy. 
    • Riley's father, David Hogeback, plans to divorce Fite and is pursuing custody of his other children.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A father is sharing his heartbreak after losing his 5-year-old son, Riley Hogeback, in a drowning incident that has now led to criminal charges against the boy’s stepmother.

Riley drowned on October 11 in a drainage ditch on a property in St. Cloud, according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. His father, David Hogeback, described Riley as a loving child with a passion for the outdoors and fishing. 

"He was a very loving little boy," Hogeback said. "He loved the outdoors, he loved fishing."

Riley was laid to rest in a white and gold casket, dressed in his favorite Spider-Man costume. 

"It was heartbreaking," Hogeback said. "I stayed and made sure they did it right when they put him down in the grave. I stayed all the way to the end, until they put the last piece of dirt over it."

The sheriff’s office said Riley was found naked and submerged in a 15-foot-long, 7-foot-deep drainage ditch filled with runoff water from a nearby pigpen. The water was described as dirty and foul-smelling.

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At the time, Riley, his 3-year-old brother, and his 5-year-old stepsister were under the care of his stepmother, Cheyenne Fite, 25, who was reportedly inside a trailer more than 300 feet away. Detectives said Fite admitted Riley was naked as a form of punishment for allegedly hurting a chicken earlier that day.

"I hope she gets prison time for every day he’s not here," Hogeback said of Fite, who is being held without bond at the Osceola County Jail.

Hogeback plans to file for divorce and seek custody of his two other children.

The Source: Information in this story is provided by the Osceola County Sheriff's Office.

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