Authorities in Ohio said a 34-year-old father was sentenced to decades behind bars after he left his 2-year-old daughter inside a burning SUV following a drunk crash and initially told officers “no one” was in the vehicle.

According to an arrest affidavit, deputies found him standing in the road as the car became engulfed in flames, only to discover that a toddler was still strapped into her seat. The man later admitted he had consumed 10 alcoholic drinks before driving.

Deputies said the father was found unsteady and smelling strongly of a**ohol

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, 34-year-old Nicholas Stemen had been driving his 2013 GMC Terrain on the night of September 25, 2024, with his 2-year-old daughter, Lillyanna, in the back seat.

Investigators said he was

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