An 18-month-old boy has died after he was allegedly left “helpless in a hot truck” for over three hours by his father, who went for a haircut and then drinking at a local bar.
Sebastian Gardner was found unresponsive in a parked vehicle on the afternoon of Friday, June 6, in Ormond Beach, Florida. Despite an officer's attempts to perform CPR at the scene, the child could not be revived.
Medical personnel believe Sebastian's body temperature reached 111 degrees while trapped inside the vehicle. His father, 33-year-old Scott Allen Gardner, is accused of leaving him in the truck while he visited a bar after a haircut, according to ABC News.
Gardner was arrested on Thursday, June 19, by the Volusia Sheriff’s Office and Ormond Beach Police Department. He is charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect causing great bodily harm.
Police say Gardner gave multiple false accounts of what happened before his arrest. In a tragic twist, the officer who had performed CPR on Sebastian was the same one who placed Gardner in handcuffs.
In a statement, 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 3 hours on the afternoon of Friday, June 6, while Gardner got a haircut and then went drinking inside Hanky Panky’s Lounge.
“It was estimated by medical personnel that Sebastian’s body temperature reached 111 degrees during this tragedy.
“The same OBPD officer who tried to revive Sebastian placed Gardner in handcuffs today as he was taken into custody at his mother’s home in Ormond Beach.”
Police said the investigation remains ongoing, with more details expected to follow.
