A disturbing hazing incident inside a Marion County fire station has led to the arrest and firing of four Fire and Rescue employees, after investigators said a 19-year-old colleague was subjected to violent and humiliating abuse, including waterboarding.
According to NBC News, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office said the incident unfolded on Nov. 16 at Fire Station 21 in Ocala, where the young firefighter was working alongside the four employees who now face criminal charges.
County Commissioner Carl Zalak condemned the behavior in a statement on Wednesday, saying, “A small group of employees treated the firehouse like a frat house. The behavior is absolutely disgraceful, disrespectful, and it will simply not be tolerated.”
Detectives with the sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit arrested Edward Kenny III, 22; Seth Day, 22; and Tate Trauthwein, 19, on charges of kidnapping, robbery, and battery.
Another employee, 25-year-old Kaylee Bradley, was taken into custody on charges of robbery and principal/accessory to robbery.
All four have been terminated, Fire Chief James Banta confirmed during a news conference.
Investigators said the hazing began with seemingly minor harassment but escalated rapidly. The victim tried to ignore the initial taunts, but the group persisted, eventually smearing grease on him before demanding access to a TikTok video on his phone.
When the victim refused to hand over his passcode, the employees allegedly chased him through the parking lot.
Trauthwein is accused of tossing the victim’s boots into the woods, and when he went to retrieve them, Kenny allegedly grabbed him from behind, tackling him to the ground.
Authorities say Kenny and Day held him down while Trauthwein pulled off his belt and yanked down the victim’s pants.
From there, the violence intensified.
Trauthwein and Bradley allegedly took the victim’s phone and demanded his password. When he refused, Trauthwein reportedly whipped him with the belt as Kenny and Day restrained him.
After repeated failed attempts to unlock the phone, it eventually locked, investigators said.
Trauthwein is then accused of pulling the victim’s underwear down and striking him again on bare skin.
The abuse culminated when the group dragged the victim to another area of the station, where Kenny and Day allegedly held him while Trauthwein covered his face with a towel and poured water over him from a bottle — an act Sheriff Billy Woods described as “waterboarding the victim.”
Woods said this was done three times.
Supervisors within Fire and Rescue alerted the sheriff’s office after learning of the allegations, prompting the investigation that led to the arrests.
Chief Banta said the department is now reviewing the case in its entirety, including whether any additional employees witnessed or failed to report the incident.
The suspects were booked into the Marion County Jail and are awaiting initial court appearances.
Sheriff Woods said the victim, who has been with the department for about a year, declined to take time off. He has already returned to duty, telling authorities he “has a job to do.”
