Man strapped kids to car, pleads guilty to four felony charges

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) The man accused of strapping four children to the hood of a car pleaded guilty to three felony counts of neglect and one felony count of operating a vehicle while intoxicated on Monday in Allen County Superior Court.

Aaron S. Stefanski, 29, must attend parenting classes and is not allowed contact with the children, except for supervised visits at Stop Childhood Abuse and Neglect (SCAN), as part of a plea agreement. Other misdemeanor charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.

Stefanski is due for sentencing on August 3. The punishment will be set by Judge Wendy Davis.

In May, police responded to a 911 call that reported a man and a woman had strapped the kids to the hood of a car and left the Belmont Beverage parking lot at 2116 Fairfield Ave.

A couple area residents saw the kids strapped to the car just before police arrived. A U.S. Marshal also saw the children near the intersection of Fairfield Avenue and Poplar Street and stopped the vehicle for police.

Police said none of the children - ages four, five, six and seven - appeared to be hurt at the time. Three of the children were Stefanski's, one belonged to his passenger, Jessica A. Clark, 29.  Employees with the Department of Children Services were also called to the scene.