Drunk father gets decades in prison after leaving 2-year-old daughter to die inside burning car
A father in the United States (US) has been sentenced to more than two decades behind bars after he left his 2-year-old daughter inside his burning car and told first responders that “no one” was in the vehicle.
According to the arrest affidavit, 34-year-old Nicholas Stemen was driving his 2013 GMC Terrain while heavily intoxicated on 25 Sept 2024.
His daughter, 2-year-old Lillyanna, was in the car with him.
Man seen driving with three tyres before veering off road
Police said Stemen had been driving erratically and was travelling on only three tyres before veering off the road, causing the SUV to burst into flames, reports US media WKRC.
A passerby called the police around 9.50pm to report the crash.
Source: Allen County Sheriff’s Office via WKRC
When deputies arrived, Stemen was found standing in the roadway while his vehicle was fully engulfed in flames.
A first responder noted that he smelled strongly of alcohol, was unsteady, and even collapsed onto the ground in front of her.
Firefighters find body of daughter in burned vehicle
After firefighters extinguished the blaze, a battalion chief asked Stemen whether anyone else was in the SUV, and Stemen replied: “No one.”
But when officers checked the charred vehicle again, they found the body of little Lillyanna still strapped into her forward-facing seat.
Source: Harter and Schier Funeral Home via AOL
Stemen was arrested and later told police he had consumed 10 alcoholic drinks before driving and had blacked out.
Man sentenced to 22 years in prison
Stemen pleaded guilty in October to aggravated arson, involuntary manslaughter, and endangering a child.
Stemen was sentenced on Monday (17 Nov) to a minimum of 22 years in prison, with a maximum term of 27 years and 6 months.
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Featured image adapted from Allen County Sheriff’s Office via WKRC and Harter and Schier Funeral Home via AOL.
