The 18-month-old child perished in extreme heat while the father consumed alcohol and got a haircut. Authorities call it one of the most disturbing cases of negligence.
A Florida man is facing charges of aggravated manslaughter and child neglect after his 18-month-old son died from heatstroke, allegedly left unattended in a sweltering vehicle while the father drank alcohol at a nearby bar.
According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, Scott Allen Gardner, 33, parked his truck outside Hanky Panky’s Lounge in Ormond Beach on June 6 and left his toddler son, Sebastián, inside the vehicle for more than three hours. Surveillance footage shows Gardner entering the bar and later stepping out to get a haircut, returning again to continue drinking.
When Gardner eventually checked on his son, the child was unresponsive. Instead of calling emergency services, Gardner drove to his mother’s home with the deceased child, then returned to the bar to continue drinking until midnight, according to investigators.
Sheriff Condemns Father’s Actions
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood did not mince words when describing the case.
“This child sat in that truck and baked to death in a car with the heat index well over 100 degrees,” Chitwood said in a press conference. “This piece of garbage went back to the bar and continued drinking as if nothing had happened.”
Authorities say the temperature inside the vehicle reached 111°F (approximately 44°C), while the child’s body temperature exceeded 107°F (41.6°C) when medical personnel attempted resuscitation. The child was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital.
Gardner claimed he had left the windows partially open and placed a battery-operated fan inside the vehicle. However, investigators found these claims to be false. The level of heat and lack of ventilation made the interior conditions fatal within minutes.
Arrest and Charges
Gardner was arrested on June 19 at his mother’s home. He has been charged with:
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Aggravated manslaughter of a child
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Child neglect resulting in great bodily harm
He is currently being held without bond.
Sheriff Chitwood confirmed that the same deputy who attempted to save Sebastián’s life during the initial response was the one who arrested Gardner two weeks later.
A Growing National Concern
This tragedy has reignited discussions surrounding vehicular heatstroke deaths in the United States. According to child safety advocacy groups, an average of 38 children die each year in hot cars—most due to forgetfulness, but an increasing number due to reckless behavior or negligence.
Just days after this incident, a similar case occurred in Louisiana where a father left his 21-month-old daughter in a hot vehicle for nearly nine hours. She also died from heat exposure.
Child welfare advocates are calling for stricter laws, improved public education, and technological solutions to prevent these avoidable deaths.
Final Thoughts
As the legal process unfolds, community members and officials continue to express grief and outrage. The loss of Sebastián has become a stark and painful reminder of the deadly consequences of negligence—and a call to action for better parental awareness and public safeguards.
“There is no excuse,” Sheriff Chitwood said. “That little boy suffered an unthinkable death while his father drank himself into a stupor. And now, he will answer for it.”
