Colorado state Senate candidate arrested after his daughter, 4, almost drowned alone in a pool while he was at the bar

A Colorado state Senate candidate running on a platform of family values has been arrested for allegedly leaving his two young children at a resort pool, where his four-year-old daughter nearly drowned while he was at the bar.

Frederick Alfred Jr, 38, the only Republican candidate slated to appear on the Senate District 21 ballot in November, was taken into custody in Key West, Florida on Monday night on suspicion of felony child neglect, The Denver Post reports. 

One witness, another guest at the Opal Key Resort, told police that Alfred’s six-year-old son approached him for help getting his sister out of the pool because his parents weren’t present, according to Alfred’s arrest warrant.

The concerned guest then pulled the four-year-old girl from the water – and noticed she was foaming at the mouth and was unconscious.

At that point, he called 911 and started CPR, police said, noting that the first call came in at 7.34pm.

It is unclear how long Alfred had been gone before the call was made.

But when Alfred returned to the pool at 7.40pm, officers noted that he was holding an alcoholic drink.

A bar receipt later confirmed the candidate ordered a ‘Bourbon and Bubbles’ for $20 and a ‘Levitate’ cannabis-infused drink for $16 while he was away from the pool where his children were swimming, according to the Miami Herald.

When he was then questioned by police, Alfred allegedly told officers he left his young children alone in the hot tub while he went to get a drink.

He claimed he was only gone for five minutes.

But in the time that Alfred was away from his children, his daughter nearly drowned while his son swallowed an unknown amount of pool water while trying to get her out, paramedics told officers, according to the arrest report.

When the young boy then realized he couldn’t save his sister, he went to a stranger for help. 

The young girl eventually regained consciousness at the scene and ‘appeared normal,’ but officers warned Alfred that ‘there was a very significant risk’ of issues arising later.

Still, Alfred allegedly tried to block the paramedics from taking his children to the hospital before acquiescing.

At that point, the children were transported to the Lower Keys Medical Center, as authorities also called on the Florida Department of Children and Families to check on the minors.

Alfred, who lives in Commerce City, was then taken into custody at the resort – at which point police said they ‘noticed the strong smell of an alcoholic beverage’ emanating from the state senate candidate.

Alfred built his platform on being a ‘husband, father and community leader,’ according to his campaign website. 

‘As a father, I believe families should guide their children’s education and I am dedicated to ensuring parental rights are respected,’ the campaign website says.

It adds that Alfred would be a ‘strong voice for families.’ 

Alfred is now the only Republican candidate slated to appear on the Senate District 21 ballot, and is set to face either incumbent Adrienne Benavidez or teacher Alex Ryckman in the general election.

Benavidez had stepped into the role after winning a vacancy election earlier this year, when Democrat state Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet resigned from the position.

Alfred had previously nearly unseated Jenet – a then-incumbent candidate – in 2024.

The Democrat won 51 percent of the vote, compared to Alfred’s 49 percent. He had lost by roughly 1,500 votes. 

If he is now convicted on the charges, Alfred could face up to five years in prison. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to Alfred’s campaign for comment.