Overview

• Gardner remains held without bond at the Volusia County Jail after his June 19 arrest on aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect causing great bodily harm charges.
• Investigators say he left 18-month-old Sebastian in a pickup truck for over three hours on June 6 when outside temperatures reached about 90°F and the interior likely climbed above 111°F.
• The truck’s windows were only slightly down and a small battery-powered fan provided the sole air circulation with no air conditioning running.
• Authorities report Gardner gave inconsistent and false accounts before confessing and later returned to the bar with his mother until nearly midnight without appearing distraught.
• Sheriff Mike Chitwood branded Gardner a “lying sack of s---” and said detectives are reviewing surveillance footage, witness interviews and body-camera recordings as the probe continues.