The family of a Washington, DC, father claims he’s positively distraught following the death of his young daughter. Deputies from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office were called to a vacation home in Kissimmee, Florida, just after 3:30 a.m. December 13, 2025. When they arrived, they reportedly found 20-month-old Azariah Hough unresponsive. The child had apparently drowned in the hot tub under the supervision of her father, 33-year-old Reynard Tyrone Hough. Sadly, it appears Hough fell asleep while holding Azariah. He faces charges in her death and the unbearable emotional pain of losing his baby girl.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office shared a news release regarding the heartbreaking incident at an Airbnb on Nice Court. When emergency responders arrived, they took Azariah to AdventHealth Celebration, where doctors declared her dead around 4:30 a.m. Hough reportedly admitted to police what happened.
“The father stated that he brought his daughter into the hot tub and fell asleep while holding her. He reported waking up to find the child unresponsive in his arms while still in the hot tub,” the sheriff’s office’s statement read.
According to WESH, during an interview, Hough allegedly told investigators he’d consumed alcohol and taken two separate narcotics the night of his daughter’s death.
Hough’s sister, Angel Hough, told WESH that learning of her niece’s death broke her heart. “It’s very hard losing a niece this way, and then we have so much hurt for my brother because he’s just so distraught and tore up,” she said.
The death of a child is never easy, but this time of year is particularly difficult. “She will be missed, and especially just seeing her little butt running around. I just can’t believe it’s almost Christmas and this happened,” Angel Hough added, per WESH.
Osceola County Sheriff’s Office Captain Kim Montes had empathy for Hough and the baby’s mother.
“I feel bad for this mom and dad; they were devastated, and they had another 6-month-old child at the home. We do know that watching two small kids can be challenging,” she told the news outlet.
Hough faces charges of child neglect causing great bodily harm and aggravated manslaughter of a child. A judge set his bond at $15,000, jail records show.
This sounds like a tragic accident but one that Hough could have prevented. Alcohol, drugs, and kids don’t mix, period. Adults have the freedom to choose reckless behavior, but they should never put a child in danger, even if they think everything will be fine. It’s never worth the risk.
