Lakeland father gets 20 years in prison after toddler dies in hot car following party

Video above: (Previous report) 'This is pure negligence:' Parents accused of leaving toddler to die in hot car, Sheriff Grady Judd says

LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) — A Lakeland father who left his 18-month-old daughter to die in a hot car after a Fourth of July party last year was sentenced on Friday.

Husband and wife, Joel and Jazmine Rondon, were arrested after the girl was rushed to the hospital the next day with an internal temperature of over 104 degrees.

Child dies as father tries to save them from fiery Lakeland crash: PCSO

Joel Rondon pleaded guilty to a single charge of aggravated manslaughter of a child in August and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with credit for time served, on Friday.

Officials said that the couple returned home from a Fourth of July party with their three children, ages 8, 6 and 18 months, at 2 a.m. on July 5. Jazmine told Joel to put the toddler to bed, but the child was not in her bedroom the next morning.

At 11 a.m., Joel found the girl unresponsive and rushed her to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, where her body temperature measured 104.4 degrees after three hours of life-saving measures and attempts to cool her down. Her death was ruled a homicide.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said both Joel and Jazmine tested positive for marijuana and alcohol 17 hours after leaving the party. Joel also tested positive for methamphetamines.

The parents were arrested on July 6 and taken to the Polk County Jail.