Qualified as a case that shocks the conscience, a neglectful father faces serious charges after his 18-month-old son died trapped in a sweltering truck while he allegedly drank at a bar for hours.
See the tweet further down this post.
33-year-old Scott Gardner is charged with aggravated manslaughter and child neglect after the toddler’s body temperature soared above 107 degrees inside the vehicle, where the only cooling was a small battery-powered fan.
Gardner left his son Sebastian in his truck for more than three hours while he got a haircut and then spent time drinking inside Hanky Panky’s Lounge in Volusia County.
Investigators say the temperature inside the vehicle reached a deadly 111 degrees, with windows only partially down and no air conditioning running.
Gardner allegedly placed a small battery-powered fan in the front seat, which did not provide relief to the helpless child strapped in the backseat.
By the time the man returned to check on his son, Sebastian had been dead for one to two hours, his body already in rigor mortis.
When Gardner discovered Sebastian was unresponsive, he called 911, frantically stating:
“My son’s not breathing. A year and a half. Oh my god. He just had his eyes open. Oh my god, Sebastian.”
But medical personnel and police quickly determined the child had been deceased for some time.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood stated, “This father is a human piece of garbage, and he’s a lying sack of s—”
Chitwood criticized Gardner’s actions at a news conference, saying the case “shocks the conscience.”
Despite the tragic death of his son, witnesses reported that Gardner and his mother returned to the bar later that same day and stayed until almost midnight.
Bar patrons and employees noted that neither appeared as distraught as would be expected after such a devastating loss, raising further questions about Gardner’s character and priorities.
‘Sack of s–t’ Florida dad who left toddler to die in hot car while he got drinks went back to same bar right after tragedy: cops https://t.co/iobSyQNBuf pic.twitter.com/q81xpEe4FV
— New York Post (@nypost) June 25, 2025
Initially, Gardner provided investigators with false accounts of the events. He eventually confessed after evidence contradicted his stories.
Law enforcement officials have been clear that this was not a case of a parent accidentally forgetting a child but rather what they consider an intentional act of neglect with fatal consequences.
Sheriff Mike Chitwood did not mince words when addressing Gardner’s actions, stating:
“I don’t think there’s a penalty on Earth that would ever fit for the crime committed here. My hope for him is that every night when he closes his eyes, and every morning when he opens his eyes, his son Sebastian asks him, ‘Dad, why did you do this to me?'”
As for now, Gardner remains in custody without bond.
This horrific incident highlights the ongoing issue of hot car deaths in America, which claim an average of 37 children’s lives annually.
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office and the Ormond Beach Police Department made the arrest as the investigation continues.
