A Florida dad is accused of leaving his helpless toddler to die inside his hot car for hours while he got a haircut and stopped to grab a drink at a bar in blazing temperatures.
Scott Allen Gardner, 33, allegedly locked his 18-month-old son, Sebastian, inside his sweltering truck when he freshened up his ‘do and stopped at Hanky Panky’s Lounge in Ormond Beach, Florida, on June 6, police said.
The unaccompanied tot was left inside the blistering heat of the vehicle for over three hours as temperatures outside reached 92 degrees, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
Scott Allen Gardner is escorted by Florida police officers during his arrest on June 19, 2025. Volusia Sheriff's OfficeMedical examiners estimate the baby’s body temperature reached a deadly 111 degrees as he sat in the truck.
Law enforcement agents performed life-saving measures on Sebastian, but the baby ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office alleges Gardner is responsible for little Sebastian’s death as he enjoyed a day in the Ormond-by-the-Sea neighborhood, eight miles north of Daytona Beach.
The heartless father allegedly gave multiple false accounts to police of the events leading up to his son’s death, the sheriff’s office said.
Gardner was arrested on Thursday after police tracked him down to his mother’s home in Ormond Beach.
Gardner was booked into Volusia County Jail and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect causing great bodily harm. Volusia Sheriff's Office
Hanky Panky’s Lounge where Gardner went drinking, leaving his son outside in his truck. Fox35Gardner was booked into Volusia County Jail and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect causing great bodily harm.
He was handed a $100,000 bond.
Bodycam footage from the sheriff’s office captured the moment the deadbeat dad was detained inside an enclosed porch on the property.
“The same OBPD officer who tried to revive Sebastian placed Gardner in handcuffs today as he was taken into custody at his mother’s home in Ormond Beach,” the sheriff’s office said.
Bodycam footage from the sheriff’s office captured the moment the deadbeat dad was detained inside an enclosed porch on the property. Volusia Sheriff's Office
Gardner is searched before being placed in the back of a cop car during his arrest. Volusia Sheriff's OfficeAs Gardner was led away from the home, two unidentified people called out to the suspected killer, saying they loved him.
Every morning, the NY POSTcast offers a deep dive into the headlines with the Post’s signature mix of politics, business, pop culture, true crime and everything in between. Subscribe here!
“I love you guys,” Gardner replied before one of the officers told him, “Say goodbye, because you’re not going to come back here again.”
