CLINTON, Iowa (AP) -- The parents of a 4-year-old girl who died in a house fire have been sentenced to 10 years in prison for child neglect and endangerment.
Shalene Peterson, 28, and Damon Peterson, 27, both of Delmar, were sentenced Thursday in Clinton County District Court.
They asked for leniency, but District Judge David Schoenthaler denied their request.
Schoenthaler said it was a difficult case to consider but that ``the seriousness of the offense'' required him to order prison sentences for the Petersons.
Their daughter, Eve, died in February. Authorities say the fire was sparked by a burning candle in their trash-strewn home.
The parents, who pleaded guilty, admitted they left girl home alone with her younger brother while they were next door.
Their two surviving children are in foster care.
