Rockledge father sentenced in child's hot car death

A father who forgot his infant daughter in his pickup truck was sentenced to two years of probation Thursday, the State Attorney's Office said.

Steven D. Lillie, 33, of Rockledge, discovered 9-month-old Anna Marie Lillie dead in his vehicle after several hours in June 2014. Lillie said he had intended to drop his daughter off at her grandmother's house before he went to work, but that he forgot along the way.

He was originally charged with third-degree murder, manslaughter and leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle. Lillie agreed to plead guilty to the third charge, Assistant State Attorney Bill Respess said. The other two charges were dropped.

Respess said the State Attorney's Office agreed to the plea based on Lillie having no previous criminal record.

When Lillie's daughter died that summer, the incident made national news. The tragedy raised awareness of the danger of forgetting children in cars, especially in hot weather.