HOUSTON – Grandparents are speaking out after an 8-year-old boy tragically died this week. They are blaming their own daughter and her boyfriend for the death of Keyontae Holzendorf.
Keyontae was found dead inside a west Houston motel on Tuesday night. His mother Kayla Holzendorf and her boyfriend, Dominique Lewis, called to report that the boy had drowned in the bathtub while they were asleep.
Now, both are charged with felony injury to a child and tampering with evidence.
“I immediately thought there was something else behind it. There is no way an 8-year-old boy is going to just drown himself in a tub,” said Keyontae’s step-grandfather Deon Davis.
Kayla’s mother, Sheryl Holzendorf, agrees that her daughter’s story doesn’t add up.
“Yes, I think that they are responsible, Kayla and Dominique, and we just want justice for Keyontae. We want to know what happened,” Sheryl said.
Kayla’s father, Timothy Holzendorf, said he is heartsick over the death of his beautiful grandson.
“You could not find a sweeter, more lovable, little boy,” Timothy said.
Investigators are now waiting on autopsy results to come in and more serious charges could be coming in the days ahead. There is evidence that Keyontae may have been tortured at some point before his death.
A prosecutor with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office said patches of skin appeared to have been ripped from the boy’s body and pieces of duct tape with human hair on them were found in the motel room along with a pair of handcuffs.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help Keyontae’s family with funeral expenses.