Marion County officials released one of the more head-shaking crime bulletins of the year on Wednesday, announcing the arrest of four Marion County Fire Rescue employees after an alleged hazing ritual at Fire Station 21 spiraled into a full-blown criminal case involving a belt, missing boots, and even waterboarding.
According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, Major Crimes Detective Jason Williams arrested Edward Kenny III, 22, Seth Day, 22, and Tate Trauthwein, 19, on charges of kidnapping, robbery, and battery. A fourth employee, 25-year-old Kaylee Bradley, was arrested for robbery and principal/accessory to robbery.
The case stems from an incident on November 16, 2025, when a firefighter at Station 21 on SW 90th Street reportedly became the target of escalating hazing. What began as routine ribbing turned into an ordeal better suited for a bad action movie than a firehouse.
The report states that Trauthwein first tossed the victim’s boots into the nearby woods. When the victim went to retrieve them, Kenny allegedly grabbed him from behind, sparking a scuffle that ended with Kenny and Day holding the victim on the ground. As the trio restrained him, Trauthwein removed the victim’s belt while Bradley and Trauthwein took his phone and demanded the passcode.
When the victim refused, investigators say Trauthwein used the belt to whip him as Kenny and Day continued to hold him down. After the phone locked from incorrect attempts, the hazing allegedly escalated further, with Trauthwein pulling down the victim’s boxers and striking him again.
The report then takes an even darker turn. According to MCSO, the victim was dragged to another area, pinned down, and waterboarded with a towel and water poured over his face. The incident stopped only when the station received a call for service.
Once Marion County Fire Rescue supervisors learned of the allegations, they immediately notified law enforcement. Detective Williams collected evidence and interviewed those involved, leading to Wednesday’s arrests. All four suspects were booked into the Marion County Jail and are awaiting first appearance.
It’s unclear what the original intent of the hazing was, but the case now sits firmly in felony territory. A fire station designed to protect the public instead served as the backdrop for one of the most unusual arrest reports of the year — and likely one of the briefest hazing traditions in Marion County history.
