Florida Father Arrested After Toddler Dies in Sweltering Hot Car While He Drank at Local Bar
ORMOND BEACH, FL — A Florida father has been arrested and charged with aggravated manslaughter and child neglect after authorities say he left his 18-month-old son inside a hot vehicle for over three hours while he got a haircut and drank at a local bar. The child, left alone in the searing heat, died with an internal body temperature that reportedly reached 111 degrees.
Scott Allen Gardner, 33, was taken into custody Thursday by the Volusia Sheriff’s Office and Ormond Beach Police Department, weeks after his son Sebastian’s death on June 6. He is facing charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect causing great bodily harm, both first-degree felonies under Florida law.
A Day of Neglect Turns Tragic
According to law enforcement, Gardner left his toddler son inside a hot pickup truck for more than three hours in the afternoon heat while he got a haircut and then went drinking inside Hanky Panky’s Lounge — a local bar in Ormond Beach.
In a statement released by the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, authorities said:
“Gardner is responsible for the death of his 18-month-old son Sebastian, who was left helpless in a hot truck for more than three hours… while Gardner got a haircut and then went drinking inside Hanky Panky’s Lounge.”
Investigators say the temperature inside the vehicle climbed rapidly, leading to what experts called an entirely preventable death. Medical personnel later determined that Sebastian’s core body temperature had reached a lethal 111 degrees Fahrenheit, a level consistent with extreme heatstroke and organ failure.
Attempts to Mislead Police
Authorities also say Gardner was not forthcoming about the circumstances of his son’s death. During initial questioning, he allegedly gave multiple false statements to investigators, attempting to obscure where he had been and how long Sebastian had been left alone in the vehicle.
His attempts to avoid accountability failed. According to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, the same Ormond Beach Police Department officer who tried to save Sebastian’s life on the day of the incident was also the one who handcuffed Gardner at his mother’s home this week and placed him under arrest.
Pattern of Irresponsibility
While Gardner’s criminal history has not been fully disclosed, officials stated that more information will be made available following a scheduled press briefing on Friday. The investigation into Sebastian’s death remains active and ongoing.
This tragedy has once again highlighted the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles — a cause of death that remains heartbreakingly common in Florida, where summer temperatures and enclosed vehicles create fatal conditions in minutes.
Child safety advocates continue to warn that even 10 minutes in a parked vehicle can lead to deadly temperatures for infants and toddlers. According to national statistics, over 30 children die every year in hot cars in the U.S., often due to preventable negligence.
A Preventable Loss
Authorities say Gardner’s actions were not an accident, but a pattern of reckless behavior that led directly to the loss of his child’s life. As the investigation continues, the Ormond Beach community is left mourning a death that should never have happened.
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