KISSIMMEE, Fla. — A father from Washington, D.C., has been arrested and charged with manslaughter after his 20-month-old daughter drowned while he allegedly fell asleep holding her in a hot tub at a Florida vacation rental, officials said.
Reynard Tyrone Hough, 33, faces charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect causing great bodily harm following the December 13 incident in Kissimmee.
According to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), deputies responded to a home on Nice Court, listed as an Airbnb rental, just after 3:30 a.m. after receiving a report of an unresponsive child. They found the toddler, identified by family as Azariah Hough, and transported her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead shortly after 4:30 a.m.
Investigation Reveals Father’s Admission
During the investigation, Hough told detectives that he brought his daughter into the hot tub and fell asleep while holding her, according to a sheriff’s office news release. He said he woke up to find her unresponsive in his arms while still in the water.
The OCSO also reported that Hough allegedly admitted to drinking alcohol and ingesting two different narcotics prior to entering the hot tub with his daughter.
Family Mourns “Very Hard” Loss
Hough’s sister, Angel Hough, identified the toddler to local media and expressed the family’s grief. “It’s very hard losing a niece this way,” she said. “We have so much hurt for my brother because he’s just so distraught and tore up.”
She remembered Azariah, who was born on April 11, 2024, as a child who would be missed “running around,” adding, “I just can’t believe it’s almost Christmas and this happened.”
The OCSO noted that the family, which includes another 6-month-old child, was visiting from Washington, D.C. Capt. Kim Montes of the OCSO told reporters, “I feel bad for this mom and dad; they were devastated… We do know that watching two small kids can be challenging.”
Reynard Hough was arrested and booked into the Osceola County Jail. The incident remains under investigation by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.