VOLUSIA COUNTY, FL — A 33-year-old Florida man, Scott Allen Gardner, has been charged with aggravated manslaughter following the tragic death of his 2-year-old son, Sebastian, who was allegedly left inside a hot vehicle for several hours.
According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, Gardner left his child in a parked car for approximately three hours in the midday heat while he went to get a haircut and later visited a local bar. Authorities say there is no evidence that Gardner checked on the child during that time.
Sheriff Mike Chitwood expressed outrage during a press briefing, calling the incident one of the most disturbing cases his department has encountered.
“Father of the Year — baby’s dead — investigation is going on. What does he do? He picks up his mother, and they go back to Hanky Panky’s for a few more cocktails, and they’re there until almost midnight,” Chitwood said.
Deputies confirmed that Gardner returned to the same bar, Hanky Panky’s Lounge, later that evening, even after learning of his son’s death.
“I don’t think there’s a penalty on this earth that could ever fit for the crime that was committed here,” the sheriff added. “It absolutely shocks the conscience.”
Gardner is currently in custody, and the investigation remains ongoing.
