Anthony Rouse.Photo:Andre Rouse
Andre Rouse
Warning: This story contains graphic details.
Alize Seymore, 25, and Tre Shaquile Seymore, 27, were arrested in May, a month after Anthony Rouse was found unresponsive in a bathtub in their home.
The child was not named in court or police records, but his father Andre Rouse confirmed his identity to PEOPLE.
Alize Seymore and Tre Shaquile Seymore.Polk County Sheriff’s Office
Polk County Sheriff’s Office
Rouse died on April 24, after two brain scans revealed there was no brain activity, said the affidavit. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office of Polk County, Fla. made the arrests in May, and the couple is being held without bond, according tojailrecords.
Soon after Rouse’s death, a warrant was issued that prompted officers to investigate the couple’s residence, where officers made “concerning observations,” as stated in the affidavit. They noted the living area for the children was feces-infested, their clothes soiled with urine and the area did not have any lights.
The officer who authored the affidavit also said he spotted a dog’s cage where Rouse was allegedly put. The bathroom where the child was found had no natural light, had two doors which were both closed and he was sent to use that bathroom as he was “not trusted” to use the master bathroom, which had the proper amenities, the officer noted in the affidavit.
According to the affidavit, text messages the officer retrieved from Alize’s phone appears to show there was a pattern of behavior where both Alize and Tre repeatedly put Rouse in the “cage,” discussing between each other when to let him out, complaining about his angry behavior. The officer also noted in the affidavit that medication prescribed to mitigate the child’s aggressive outbursts was not administered to him.
Texts published in the affidavit further showed Alize saying “I hate him” and “Tell him kill himself,” as well as making references to “the other kids I love and care bout."
The affidavit claimes that Rouse’s 10-year-old brother, whose name is also redacted in the affidavit, said the couple would reward him and the other children with candy if they joined in torturing the six-year-old, which included “beating” him and putting him in the dog cage.
He told officers that he watched Tre “drown” the victim, after he “got in trouble for stealing food,” for which Tre took him “swimming,” — a reference the 10-year-old said meant “drowning” and “holding the victim’s head underwater” to him, per the affidavit.
The affidavit quoted the 10-year-old as saying they were often subject to abuse from Tre who would put the boys in a chokehold to get them to sleep, and that the couple often kept them locked in their bedroom for extended periods of time.
Officers also retrieved photos, which they say show Rouse being shoved into the cage, being held there looking “traumatized,” and “red marks” on an infant.
“Just a trucker trying to give my kids a better life!!! Trying to get 1k!!!” reads the bio.
The 10-year-old brother also told officers that Alize had threatened him to not tell officers about what Tre did.
Both Tre and Alize have retained separate counsel; Tre has entered a plea of not guilty, and Alize’s plea was not immediately available. PEOPLE reached out to her attorney for further details.
Both are being held without bond.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
