A Florida couple was arrested for abusing the woman’s son, who reportedly drowned in their care in April.
On April 22, Anthony Rouse, 6, apparently drowned in a bathtub at his mother and stepfather’s Winter Haven home. While Tre and Alize Seymore, 27 and 25, have not been directly charged in connection with Rouse’s death, WTSP reported that Rouse was kept in a locked dog cage in a garage for hours and deprived of food.
Polk County police also alleged that Rouse and his siblings were also kept in a locked bedroom with no electricity. The room was also littered with clothing that was covered in feces and urine, according to WTSP.
WTSP reported that a 10-year-old sibling told police that they were “rewarded” with candy for beating up Rouse. The child also said that she witnessed Tre Seymore force her brother’s head underwater in the bathtub on the day he died.
Rouse’s biological father told WTSP that his son was in the state’s custody for the first two years of his life because Alize Seymore was being investigated by the Department of Children and Families. The father said he got sole custody once he left her, but when Rouse turned 5, he lost custody due to a domestic violence incident involving an ex-girlfriend.
“They felt the need to take him from someone he knew his whole life and just throw him directly to someone he’d only seen, you know, a handful of times,” he explained.
Rouse’s father claimed he was fighting for custody in the months leading up to his son’s death. He also said he was unaware of how bad the abuse was. Documents described it as “torture,” according to WTSP.
Tre and Alize Seymore are charged with witness tampering and child abuse. Polk County police told WTSP that they believe additional charges are forthcoming.
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[Featured image: Anthony Rouse/WTSP video screengrab]
