A Pennsylvania father has been sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty in a case involving his 2-year-old daughter, who suffered severe frostbite after being left outside during bitter winter weather while he slept inside the family’s Cumberland County home.
Joshua Ryan Kitner, 29, pleaded guilty Tuesday to endangering the welfare of a child. Two aggravated assault charges that had been filed against him were dropped as part of the plea agreement.
The sentencing brings a major legal development in a case that began after the toddler was discovered outside a home on Steelstown Road in North Newton Township during a winter storm.
Child found outside in only a T-shirt and diaper
Investigators said Kitner was the only adult caring for his daughter when the incident occurred. He told authorities that he had consumed eight or nine beers the previous night and was tired the following day.
While he was asleep, investigators believe the toddler may have opened the door to let the family’s young dog outside and then became locked out of the house.
The child was outside for an unknown amount of time while wearing only a T-shirt and diaper as temperatures remained dangerously low.
When Kitner woke later in the day, he found his daughter sitting outside with the dog. According to investigators, she appeared drowsy and extremely cold, while her feet and toes had turned dark purple.
Emergency responders were called, and the child was taken for urgent medical treatment.
Frostbite caused serious injuries to her feet and hand
The toddler’s injuries were more extensive than initially apparent.
Medical information cited in the investigation indicated that she suffered stage-4 frostbite to both feet. She also had stage-3 frostbite affecting fingers on her right hand.
The injuries to her feet were particularly serious and raised concerns that surgery could be necessary.
She was eventually treated in a burn unit, where she remained for about a week. After leaving the hospital, the girl continued returning for follow-up care for more than a month as doctors monitored her recovery.
Case led to multiple criminal charges
Kitner was arrested months after the incident and initially faced two felony aggravated assault counts along with a charge of endangering the welfare of a child.
The aggravated assault charges were ultimately dropped under the plea agreement. His guilty plea to the child-endangerment charge resulted in a sentence of two years of probation rather than incarceration.
The investigation also extended beyond Kitner. Two women, ages 27 and 30, were separately accused of interfering with a Cumberland County Children and Youth Services investigation and failing to comply with a court order connected to the case.
Kitner’s probation sentence closes a significant part of the criminal case months after the toddler’s exposure to the winter weather resulted in severe injuries and an extended period of medical care.
