A Pennsylvania father who admitted he slept through a winter storm while his 2-year-old daughter was locked outside in a T-shirt and diaper, resulting in severe frostbite to her hands and feet, will avoid prison time. Joshua Ryan Kitner, 29, was sentenced to two years of probation after pleading guilty to endangering the welfare of a child in Cumberland County.
Background
The incident occurred on Steelstown Road in North Newton Township, where temperatures dipped into the teens and snow accumulation reached as much as a foot. Kitner told investigators that he woke up around 5 p.m. on Jan. 29 and discovered his daughter outside the home. He claimed he believed the toddler may have accidentally locked herself out while letting the family dog out to relieve itself.
Authorities stated that Kitner was the sole adult supervising the child at the time. He later admitted to investigators that he had been hungover after consuming eight or nine beers the night before. According to the probable cause arrest affidavit, Kitner described finding the victim "seated on her butt and dozing off," noting that she was cold and that her feet and toes were "frozen and purple, almost black in color."
Paramedics rushed the toddler to the hospital, where she spent approximately one week in the burn unit. The affidavit indicated that she suffered frostbite to both her hands and feet, with the feet being the most severely affected and nearly requiring surgical intervention. Following her release from the hospital, the child required an additional month of follow-up medical appointments.
The Charges
Kitner pleaded guilty to a single count of endangering the welfare of a child. As part of the plea agreement with the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office, two counts of aggravated assault of a child were dropped. The sentence handed down allows Kitner to serve his probation in the community rather than serving time behind bars.
In a related development, local ABC affiliate WHTM reported that two women, ages 27 and 30, were charged with obstructing a Cumberland County Children and Youth Services investigation and failing to comply with a court order connected to the case. The Prosecutor's Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the specific details of the plea deal.
Key Takeaways
- Joshua Ryan Kitner, 29, pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child and was sentenced to two years of probation.
- The 2-year-old victim suffered severe frostbite to her hands and feet, described by police as "frozen and purple, almost black in color."
- Kitner admitted he was hungover from drinking eight or nine beers the night before the incident and slept through the cold exposure.
- Two counts of aggravated assault of a child were dropped as part of the plea agreement.
- The toddler spent roughly one week in the burn unit and required a month of follow-up care.
- Two women were separately charged with obstructing the Children and Youth Services investigation.
What's Next
Kitner will now serve two years of probation under the supervision of the Cumberland County courts. The status of the two women charged with obstruction remains unclear, though their cases are tied to the broader investigation into the child welfare incident. The Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office has not issued further public statements on the resolution of the case.
Bottom Line
The case highlights the severe physical consequences of neglect during extreme weather, yet the judicial outcome prioritized probation over incarceration, reflecting the complexities of plea bargaining in child endangerment cases where no fatal outcome occurred.