Overview

• On June 6, Scott Allen Gardner left his 18-month-old son Sebastian in a vehicle where outside temperatures hit 92°F and the boy’s body temperature climbed to 111°F over more than three hours.
• Volusia County authorities arrested Gardner at his mother’s Ormond Beach home and charged him with aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect causing great bodily harm.
• Investigators say Gardner provided multiple false accounts to police about the timeline and his actions leading up to Sebastian’s death.
• Gardner remains in custody at the Volusia County Jail as the investigation into the incident continues.
• Child safety advocates note that 2024 saw 39 child hot-car fatalities, a 35% rise from 2023, highlighting the deadly risk of leaving children unattended in vehicles.