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Florida Father Charged With Manslaughter After Toddler Dies in Hot Car

He remains jailed on $100,000 bond pending further investigation into the circumstances of Sebastian’s death.

Overview

  • Authorities say 33-year-old Scott Allen Gardner left his 18-month-old son Sebastian locked in a sweltering truck for over three hours while he got a haircut and drank at a bar in Ormond Beach
  • Medical examiners estimated the toddler’s body temperature reached 111°F inside the vehicle, and investigators believe he died one to two hours before Gardner placed the 911 call
  • Investigators found that Gardner gave multiple false versions of what happened and afterward returned to Hanky Panky’s Lounge with his mother until nearly midnight
  • Gardner was arrested on June 19 at his mother’s home by the same Ormond Beach officer who attempted CPR on Sebastian and now faces aggravated manslaughter and child neglect charges
  • An arraignment is scheduled for July 8, when Gardner will appear in Volusia County court to enter a plea