KISSIMMEE, FL – In a tragic sequence of events, a five-year-old boy’s life was cut short in Osceola County, leading to criminal charges against his stepmother. The young boy, Riley Holjevac, was found lifeless in a drainage ditch at his family’s property. Cheyenne Star Fight, 25, is now facing charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child due to her alleged negligence.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office has stated that Fight’s failure to adequately supervise the children resulted in the unfortunate incident. On October 11, Riley was discovered drowned in a ditch filled with water, which was dug on the family’s land to mitigate flooding caused by Hurricane Milton. The ditch, located near a pig pen, was reportedly contaminated with runoff water containing fecal matter and urine. A child-sized boogie board was also found floating in the ditch.
David Hogback, Riley’s father, expressed his heartbreak and shared that the Department of Children and Families had taken custody of his three-year-old son and Fight’s five-year-old daughter pending investigation. Hogback revealed that Fight was supposed to be supervising the children while the ditch was being dug but was inside folding clothes when the tragedy occurred.
Fight told investigators that her daughter alerted her to Riley being submerged in the water. After pulling him out, she contacted 911 following a conversation with her mother. The boy was reportedly naked, which Fight attributed to washing his dirty clothes. However, an affidavit revealed that Riley’s sister told detectives he was nude as a punishment for an earlier incident involving a chicken. She also claimed her mother was asleep at the time of the drowning.
Further investigation of the home uncovered hazardous conditions, including knives, rusted metal, rat and livestock feces, and scrap metal, which posed potential risks for children. Hogback expressed his grief and desire for justice, stating that no punishment could bring back his son.
Cheyenne Fight is currently being held without bond. The Department of Children and Families has not yet commented on the status of the children removed from the home.