Colorado state senate candidate Frederick Alfred Jr. was arrested after his 4-year-old daughter nearly drowned in a hotel hot tub at the same time he went out to the bar.
Alfred, 38, was with his son, 6, and daughter, 4, at the Opal Key Resort and Marina in Key West, Florida, when he left them to go to a bar on the night of Monday, April 20, according to the Denver Post.
He allegedly bought a “Bourbon and Bubbles” drink and a Levitate cannabis-infused drink during the incident, according to an arrest report viewed by the outlet.
At the time he was away from his kids, police were called to the hotel around 7:40 p.m. in response to a report that a girl had almost drowned. Her brother tried to rescue her, though he swallowed water in the process. The brother then called nearby hotel guests for help after he realized his dad wasn’t with them.
The girl was reportedly “foaming from the mouth” before she was given CPR, according to the outlet. She eventually regained consciousness.
After the girl was in stable condition, Alfred told police officers that he had only been gone for five minutes. However, investigators noted that they smelled alcohol on him.
Alfred initially blocked paramedics from taking his children to the hospital, though he eventually let them go and the kids were evaluated.
The police document stated that paramedics said there could be a “very significant risk” of other issues that stem from the incident “that would not present themselves until later.”
Alfred was ultimately arrested on two counts of felony child neglect. It is not currently clear if he has entered a plea or retained legal counsel.
The Key West Police Department did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment regarding the case.
The father of two has not yet spoken out about the arrest.
Alfred is the only Republican candidate who is running for election in Colorado’s Senate District 21 seat. The seat is currently held by Democratic lawmaker Adrienne Benavidez.
Following his arrest, Alfred was dropped by the non-partisan Chainsaw Caucus.
“The serious allegations of child neglect reported today are incompatible with the core principles of parental responsibility and personal accountability that define our organization,” the group’s chair Hannah Goodman said in a statement. “We wish the children a full recovery and expect the legal process to run its course.”
