Republican arrested after unattended 4-year-old daughter nearly drowns: report

A Republican candidate for state senate in Colorado has been arrested in Key West, Florida, on suspicion of felony child neglect, after he left his 4-year-old daughter unattended in a pool while he purchased liquor, nearly causing her death.

According to The Colorado Sun, "Frederick Alfred Jr., a 38-year-old who lives in Commerce City, is running to represent state Senate District 21 north of Denver ... A witness told police in Key West that Alfred’s daughter was unconscious in the pool and foaming at the mouth when he retrieved her from the water, according to arrest records. The witness performed CPR on the young girl and revived her."

The incident occurred at a resort in Key West. Police who apprehended him said he smelled of alcohol at the time.

"First responders say Alfred told them that he left his daughter and 6-year-old son alone for about five minutes while he went to get a drink at the bar. Arrest records show he initially refused to let his kids be taken to a hospital, but eventually relented," said the report. "The son first tried to rescue the daughter before the boy asked a bystander for help, according to arrest documents."

The state senate district in question was relatively competitive in the most recent cycle, the report noted: "In 2024, Alfred nearly unseated Democratic state Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet in Senate District 21. Michaelson Jenet resigned from the legislature earlier this year to pursue a private sector job. A Democratic vacancy committee tapped Adrienne Benavidez to fill her seat until early 2027."

Criminal offenses involving children have derailed political campaigns for years. In 2022, a South Dakota GOP candidate for state senate was charged with grooming and abusing a young family member.