A Republican candidate for Colorado State Senate was arrested Monday in Florida after abandoning his children at a hotel pool, where his 4-year-old daughter nearly drowned, to go to the bar, police said.
Frederick Alfred Jr., a 38-year-old man , was arrested on suspicion of felony child neglect at 245 Front St. in Key West, Florida, . That address is connected to the Sunset Key Cottages, a four-star hotel. 
One witness told police that Alfred’s son had approached him for help getting his sister out of the pool because his parents weren’t present, according to Alfred’s arrest report. The 4-year-old girl was foaming at the mouth and unconscious when the man pulled her from the water, prompting him to call 911 and start CPR, the report stated.
The first 911 call came in at 7:34 p.m. Monday, according to the report. Itap unknown how long Alfred had been gone before that call was made. When Alfred returned to the pool at 7:40 p.m., he was holding an alcoholic drink, police said.
Alfred told police that he had left his 4-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son alone in the hot tub while he went to get a drink, according to the report. He claimed he was only gone for five minutes.
In the time he was gone, his daughter nearly drowned and his son swallowed an unknown amount of pool water while trying to get her out of the water, paramedics told police in the arrest report. When the 6-year-old boy couldn’t rescue his sister, he went to a stranger for help.
Alfred initially blocked paramedics from taking his children to the hospital, even after they told him “there was a very significant risk” of issues arising later from the near-drowning, police said in the report. He eventually agreed to let his children be taken to the hospital.
Police “noticed the strong smell of an alcoholic beverage” emitting from Alfred while arresting the man, the report stated.
Alfred, who lives in Commerce City, has built his platform on being a “husband, father, and community leader,” . He did not respond Tuesday afternoon to requests for comment.
“As a father, I believe families should guide their children’s education, and I am dedicated to ensuring parental rights are respected,” the website stated, adding that Alfred aims to be a “strong voice for families.”
Alfred is the only GOP candidate slated to appear on the Senate District 21 ballot and is set to face either incumbent Adrienne Benavidez or newcomer Alex Ryckman, a teacher, after the Democratic primary in June. Benavidez stepped into the role after winning a vacancy election earlier this year when Democratic state Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet resigned.
Alfred nearly unseated Jenet — a then-incumbent candidate — in a 2024 race for the seat, but he lost by roughly 1,500 votes across Adams and Arapahoe counties, according to . Jenet won 51% of the vote to Alfred’s 49%.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
