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Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Toddler found dead in hot car with body temperature of 110 degrees in Florida while father was in 'Hanky Panky lounge'
A Florida toddler baked to death after his father left him in the back of a hot car while he went drinking at a bar, police said. Sebastian Gardner, 18 months, had a body temperature of more than 110 degrees when he was found in the back of the vehicle on June 6. His father, Scott Allen Gardner, 33, of South Daytona, was arrested on aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect charges on Thursday in connection with his death. Gardner allegedly left his son in his truck in 92F heat for more than three hours while he got a haircut and went drinking inside Ormond Beach's Hanky Panky's Lounge, Volusia Sheriff's Office said. 'During the investigation, Gardner gave multiple false accounts of what occurred that day,' police said. A neighbor told 6 ABC that Gardner told her the little boy died of a fever. Police attempted to revive Sebastian, whose body temperature was 111 degrees, but were unsuccessful. Authorities apprehended Gardner at his mother's house in Ormond Beach, placing him in cuffs in what appeared to be a screened outdoor seating area. The same Ormond Beach Police officer who attempted to revive Sebastian arrested the father-of-one, Volusia Sheriff's Office revealed. 'Honey, I love you,' his mother, Jody Thereault, can be heard saying on the arrest footage. 'Love you, guys!' he replied, looking worried as they guided him toward the squad car. 'Say goodbye, because you're not going to come back here again,' an unidentified male said. Gardner was booked into the county jail on a $100,000 bond. The family started a now-closed GoFundMe for the child's funeral expenses, garnering $2,828. 'During this time of profound grief, as we [mourn] the sudden and unexpected passing of little Sebastian,' the fundraiser, created before Gardner's arrest, read. 'I ask for prayers for Scott Gardner, Jodi (Martineau) Thereault and family as well as help with raising money for any possible expenses and other needs that may arise as his family will need to take time off from work to grieve, make arrangements, and support each other through this tragic loss. 'No parent should ever have to experience the pain of losing a child. I hope they can find some comfort in the love and support surrounding them.' The family described the little boy as having a 'bright light', who will 'forever remain in the hearts of all who knew and loved him'. The Daily Mail has contacted the family for comment. Last year, nearly 40 children died of heat stroke from being left inside a car. There have been seven such deaths so far this year. Nearly 90 percent of children who die in hot cars are below the age of three and are usually, 'unknowingly left by an otherwise loving, responsible parent or caregiver,' according to Kids and Car Safety. The organization recommends parents leave a baby-related item, like a diaper bag, in the front seat of the car as a reminder or make a habit of opening the backdoor every time they leave their vehicle. It also recommended they make sure children do not have access to a parked, hot car and to keep keys out of children's reach.
Fox News
a day ago
- Fox News
Florida dad arrested after toddler dies in hot car while he allegedly got hair cut, 'went drinking': police
A Florida dad was arrested on Thursday in connection with the death of his toddler, who was left inside a hot car earlier this month while he got a haircut and a drink, according to law enforcement. Scott Allen Gardner, 33, was charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect causing great bodily harm in the death of his 18-month-old son Sebastian, the Volusia Sheriff's Office said. Officers with the Ormond Beach Police Department assisted in Gardner's arrest. Gardner's son was "left helpless in a hot truck for more than three hours" during the afternoon of June 6 while he got a haircut and "went drinking inside Hanky Panky's Lounge," the sheriff's office said, adding that medical personnel estimated that the toddler's body temperature reached 111 degrees. The sheriff's office also said Gardner gave "multiple false accounts" of what took place on the day Sebastian died. Gardner, who was taken into custody at his mother's home in Ormond Beach, was handcuffed by the same Ormond Beach officer who tried to revive his son. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said to "never leave a child in a vehicle unattended for any length of time" and that "rolling windows down or parking in the shade does little to change the interior temperature of the vehicle." "A child's body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adult's. When a child is left in a vehicle, that child's temperature can rise quickly – and the situation can quickly become dangerous," according to the NHTSA. "In 2024, 39 children died of heatstroke in vehicles — up 35% from 2023," according to a report on the agency's website. Sebastian is the seventh hot car death this year and the 115th child in Florida to die in a hot car, the National Security Council's website said.
