ORMOND BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) – A Florida father has been arrested in connection with the death of his 18-month-old son, who was left in a hot truck for more than three hours while the man got a haircut and went drinking, authorities said.
Scott Allen Gardner, 33, was taken into custody Thursday by Volusia County sheriff’s deputies and Ormond Beach police on charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect causing great bodily harm.
Investigators said Gardner left his son, Sebastian, inside a truck on the afternoon of June 6 while he got a haircut and later spent time drinking at Hanky Panky’s Lounge.
According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the toddler was discovered unresponsive, and medical personnel estimated his body temperature had reached 111 degrees.
Gardner reportedly gave multiple false accounts of the events that day during the investigation, according to deputies.
The same Ormond Beach police officer who had attempted to revive Sebastian placed Gardner in handcuffs at his mother’s home.
Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.