Joshua Kitner was sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to child endangerment in connection with his 2-year-old daughter’s death.
A man has learned his fate after his child was reportedly discovered outside during a snowstorm.
According to PEOPLE, 29-year-old Joshua Kitner of Newville has learned his fate after his 2-year-old daughter was found outside during a snowstorm.
Per the report, troopers with the Pennsylvania State Police were called to a home in North Newton Township at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 25 to assist EMS after the girl was discovered outside suffering from "severe frostbite" and hypothermia.
An affidavit reviewed by PEOPLE reportedly indicates that Kitner was "solely caring" for the child when he fell asleep for an unknown period of time. When speaking with investigators, he reportedly stated that he had woken up shortly after 5 p.m. and found his daughter outside with the family's 3-month-old dog.
Kitner reportedly told authorities that he had gotten "buzzed" the night before after he drank eight to nine beers, which resulted in him feeling exhausted the next day. According to the Franklin County Free Press Publisher, Kitner stated that he was hungover.
He said that he found the girl "seated on her butt and dozing off," adding that she was cold to the touch and her feet and toes were "frozen and purple, almost black in color," according to PEOPLE, citing the affidavit.
Kitner reportedly told authorities that he believed the girl let the dog outside while he was asleep and got locked out of the house in the process, with authorities stating that she was "wearing only a shirt and diaper" outside during "a severe winter day and snowstorm" for an unknown period of time, per the publication.
The affidavit reportedly indicates that the girl suffered fourth-degree frostbite in both her feet, which were found to be blue and purple, while she suffered third-degree frostbite on the fingers of her right hand.
The girl was taken to an area hospital, then transferred to the burn unit at Lehigh Valley Medical Center, where she stayed for a week.
Kitner pleaded guilty to the following charge on Tuesday, Sept. 22, per the publication:
- Endangering the welfare of a child
He was sentenced to two years of probation as part of a plea deal that saw two felony counts of aggravated assault dropped, the Publisher reported.
