An 18-month-old Florida toddler died after being left in a hot truck for over three hours while his father allegedly got a haircut and drank at a local bar, authorities announced.
On Thursday, June 19, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and the Ormond Beach Police Department arrested 33-year-old Scott Allen Gardner of South Daytona on charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect causing great bodily harm.
The arrest came nearly two weeks after the June 6 death of his son, Sebastian Gardner, PEOPLE reports.
Toddler Left in Truck as Temperatures Soared
According to Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, Scott Gardner left his son in the backseat of his truck around 11:30AM that morning, with no air conditioning. The truck’s windows were reportedly down, and a small battery-powered fan had been aimed at the child.
Gardner then entered Classic Cuts for a haircut and later walked to Hanky Panky’s Lounge, located nearby in Ormond Beach, where he remained until at least 2:00PM, according to investigators.
“He finished his haircut and headed to Hanky Panky’s around noon, where he stayed and drank until at least 2:00PM,” the sheriff’s office stated.
Authorities say Gardner did briefly exit the bar to inspect a vehicle after another customer hit a bartender’s car but did not check on Sebastian during that time. He then went back inside the bar and ordered more drinks.
Sebastian’s Condition and Emergency Response
At approximately 2:40PM, Gardner left the bar, drove a short distance home, and called 911 to report that his son was not breathing.
“My son’s not breathing. A year and a half. Oh my god. He just had his eyes open. Oh my god, Sebastian,” Gardner is heard saying in the 911 call, which was later released by authorities.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found Sebastian unresponsive. The toddler had already gone into rigor mortis, and CPR could not be performed.
He was transported to a hospital and pronounced dead at 3:30PM.
Sheriff Chitwood said Sebastian’s temperature was over 107 degrees when he arrived at the hospital. Medical staff estimated the temperature inside the vehicle reached 111 degrees, per a news release. It was reported to be 92 degrees outside that day.
Gardner Returned to Bar After Son’s Death
Following the incident, Gardner allegedly returned to Hanky Panky’s Lounge with his mother and remained there until almost midnight. “Witnesses at the bar said the pair ‘didn’t seem as distraught as you would expect someone to be for the child having just passed,’” one investigator said, adding this matched Gardner’s demeanor at the hospital.
Investigators stated that Gardner initially gave multiple false accounts of what occurred. Sheriff Chitwood described Gardner’s behavior bluntly during a news conference on June 20: “This father is a human piece of garbage. And he’s a lying sack of s***.”
“There’s no logical reason why this little guy is dead,” Chitwood said. “We’ve seen it, people forget their kids in the back seat, but this was completely different. This was intentional. That’s what the charges are for.”
Arrest and Charges
Gardner was arrested at his mother’s home in Ormond Beach. Video footage posted to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page shows the arrest occurring in a screened-in outdoor area. The same Ormond Beach Police officer who had attempted to revive Sebastian placed Gardner in handcuffs.
As he was led away, his mother, Jody Thereault, was heard saying, “Honey, I love you.” Gardner replied, “Love you, guys!” An unidentified man added: “Say goodbye, because you’re not going to come back here again.”
Gardner was booked into the county jail on a $100,000 bond.
Community Reaction and Fundraiser
A GoFundMe campaign was launched before Gardner’s arrest to raise money for Sebastian’s funeral expenses. It raised $2,828 before being closed. “During this time of profound grief, as we [mourn] the sudden and unexpected passing of little Sebastian,” the fundraiser read, “I ask for prayers for Scott Gardner, Jodi (Martineau) Thereault and family… No parent should ever have to experience the pain of losing a child.”
The family described Sebastian as a “bright light” who will “forever remain in the hearts of all who knew and loved him.”
A National Concern
Sebastian is the seventh child in the U.S. to die in a hot car in 2025.
Last year, nearly 40 children died from heatstroke after being left in vehicles, per the Daily Mail. According to Kids and Car Safety, nearly 90 percent of these children are under the age of three, often left unknowingly by a caregiver.
The organization recommends leaving baby items in the front seat or always opening the back door when exiting a vehicle as preventive measures. Parents are also urged to keep keys out of children’s reach to avoid unsupervised access to parked cars.
Our thoughts go out to everybody impacted by this tragedy.
