According to police, an 18-month-old boy passed away earlier this month after his father left him in a hot parked car for three hours while he went to a bar in Ormond Beach for a drink after getting a haircut.
After his son Sebastian died on June 6, Scott Allen Gardner, 33, of Ormond Beach, was taken into custody on Thursday on suspicion of aggravated manslaughter and child abuse inflicting serious bodily damage.
At a press conference on Friday, Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood declared, “This father is a lying sack of s**t and a human piece of garbage.” The Ormond Beach Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office collaborated on the case.
When he shuts his eyes at night and opens them in the morning, I hope his son Sebastian will sit there and ask, “Dad, why did you do this to me?” “Chitwood said.”
According to investigators, Sebastian was abandoned in his father’s abandoned vehicle. Detective Shon McGuire said the windows were down and a tiny fan was facing the child inside. According to a news statement from the Sheriff’s Office, hospital personnel eventually calculated that the toddler’s body temperature while in the car had risen as high as 111 degrees.
An advocacy group called Kids and Car Safety estimates that 40 children nationwide pass away as a result of being left in hot cars each year. According to the group, Sebastian is one of 119 children who have perished in Florida’s hot automobiles since 1992.
Ormond Beach Detective David Burnett said Gardner left Hanky Panky’s Lounge hours after he dropped his son off and went to his mother’s house nearby, phoning 911 along the way.
Sebastian was transferred to a hospital where he was pronounced dead after an officer gave him CPR when the police arrived.
According to Burnett, Sebastian most certainly passed away while Gardner was at the bar and was dead one to two hours prior to the 911 call, according to information provided by medical officials.
Chief Jesse Godfrey of Ormond Beach stated that he and his officers were emotionally affected by the probe.
He remarked, “I just can’t get the image of little Sebastian in that car seat out of my head.” It’s a terrible thing, and I know it affects our detectives. I’m just relieved that he’s being held responsible.
According to Chitwood, while his son’s death was being investigated, Gardner went back to the pub with his mother.
The year’s father. The baby is deceased, and an inquiry is underway. How does he spend his time? He returns to Hanky Panky for a few more cocktails after picking up his mother, and they stay there until nearly midnight, according to Chitwood.
The Sheriff’s Office says Gardner provided several incorrect stories of what happened. According to McGuire, he first informed authorities that he had performed CPR on Sebastian and that his eyes had opened, leading him to believe that everything might be alright.
Police believe the youngster was already dead when Gardner got back to his car, so Chitwood said he didn’t accept that assertion.
According to McGuire, Gardner eventually admitted what he had done.
Police were informed by a bartender at Hanky Panky’s Lounge that Gardner had previously brought the toddler inside the establishment, but not on June 6. According to Chitwood, Gardner went outside to check on a bartender whose car had been struck by another vehicle that day, but he neglected to check on Sebastian in his vehicle.
According to investigators, Sebastian’s mother resides in a separate county. They said that although Gardner did not have legal custody of him, he was the one caring for him.
Gardner was arrested and is currently being held at the Volusia County Jail. According to court documents, he was given a $100,000 bond on one of the offenses. The date of his arraignment is July 8.
