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
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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 “driving erratically” and driving the SUV with only three tires when he veered off the roadway. Moments later, the vehicle caught fire.
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At around 9:50 p.m., a passerby spotted the burning SUV and immediately called 911. When deputies arrived, they found Stemen standing in the middle of the road as flames engulfed the SUV.
The affidavit stated that one of the first responders immediately noticed the smell of a**ohol coming from Stemen, “and he was unsteady on his feet, actually falling to the ground in front of her.”
Firefighters rushed to put out the growing flames as officers tried to understand what had happened.
With the vehicle now engulfed, responders needed to know whether anyone else was trapped inside.
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According to the affidavit, the battalion chief asked Stemen if anyone was still in the burning car.
His answer, they said, was simple: “No one.”
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“Stemen was asked if he had any children. He answered that he has a daughter, who was with her grandfather, Randy Stemen,” the arrest affidavit read.
First responders found a grim discovery when they looked inside the smoldering SUV
Despite Stemen’s insistence that the SUV was empty, firefighters and deputies continued assessing the vehicle after extinguishing the blaze.
When they returned to the front passenger area, officers found a horrifying sight.
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Rescuers saw a little girl still strapped into her seat. Authorities later confirmed that the toddler lost her life in the fire.
“Battalion Chief Joel Will asked Deputy Geise to step back and look inside the vehicle. Upon doing so, she observed a small body, in a front forward facing car seat.
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“She stated she could tell it was human due to seeing skin and blood on the thighs,” the arrest affidavit read.
With the discovery confirmed, deputies took Stemen into custody.
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During questioning, investigators said he confessed to consuming 10 alcoholic beverages before driving and claimed he blacked out and could not remember the details of the tragic events that unfolded.
Stemen pled guilty to multiple felonies and was sentenced to at least 22 years in prison
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Stemen entered a guilty plea in October to aggravated arson, involuntary manslaughter, and endangering a child, according to Local 12 News.
During sentencing, Lillyanna’s mother wrote a letter that was read during Stemen’s sentencing, where she lamented the loss of her daughter due to a night of drinking.
She called for the court to sentence Stemen to life behind bars.
“My baby girl is gone. And for what? For her father enjoying a night of drinking?” the letter read. “He k**led her. He took her from everyone who loved her so much. He should spend his life behind bars.”
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Stemen, for his part, acknowledged that his actions ultimately brought the demise of his own daughter.
“I know what my actions caused. Now I won’t get to see my little girl grow up, and that hits me to my core. I’m sorry I took her away… I’m sorry she’s gone. I have no recollection of what happened,” he said.
The judge imposed a minimum of 22 years in prison and a maximum of 27 years and 6 months, telling Stemen to spend a “lifetime of thinking what your daughter could have been doing.”