Father Goes Back to Bar After Death of Son Abandoned in Hot Truck While He Was Drinking: Police

Volusia Sheriff’s Deputies and the Ormond Seaside Police Division partnered collectively in the investigation and arreset of Scott Allen Gardner, 33, on prices of aggravated manslaughter of a toddler and baby neglect inflicting nice bodily hurt, in accordance to a VSO press release.

Gardner’s arrest got here on June 19, almost two weeks after he left his son Sebastian alone in a scorching truck for 3 hours on Friday, June 6. Police mentioned that he gave “a number of false accounts” of what occurred all through their investigation.

“There’s no logical motive why this little man is useless,” mentioned Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood in a press convention on Friday, per People.

“We’ve seen it, individuals neglect their youngsters in the again seat, however this was fully completely different,” he added, at one other level calling Gardner, “a human piece of rubbish.”

Authorities estimated that Sebastian’s physique temperature reached 111 levels whereas he was contained in the automobile, regardless of his father’s claims that he had taken measures to guarantee his son did not overheat.

Chitwood supplied extra particulars, in accordance to native CBS affiliate WKMG, the place he revealed that police decided that after his haircut at 11:30 a.m., Gardner was inside Hanky Panky’s from midday to 2:40 p.m.

They mentioned that he truly left the bar at one level to test on the bartender’s automobile after somebody had allegedly backed into it, however he didn’t at the moment or some other time test on his son.

“For 2 hours and 40 minutes, that little man is inside that automobile,” Chitwood mentioned on the press convention. “He says the home windows have been down — however he’s a mendacity sack of s–t — with a bit of mini fan with AA batteries blowing on the newborn.”

Much more shocking, regardless of the apparent misery of the newborn in his truck — although it’s unclear when Gardner grew to become conscious of this — he didn’t name 911 till after he’d pushed house.

“My son’s not respiratory. A yr and a half. Oh my god. He simply had his eyes open. Oh my god, Sebastian,” Gardner might be heard on the 911 name reported by People.

The primary responder from the Ormond Seaside Police Division tried to revive Sebastian however was unable to achieve this after discovering he had already gone into rigor mortis, per police filings. Investigators consider he’d been useless up to two hours earlier than the daddy referred to as 911. His inner temperature was 107 levels when he arrived on the hospital; he was pronounced useless at 3:30 p.m.

After all of this occurred, and his son was declared useless, Chitwood mentioned on the presser that Gardner “picks up his mom, they usually return to Hanky Panky’s for just a few extra cocktails.”

In accordance to police, the pair stayed on the bar till round midnight that evening, with one investigator telling the press that, in accordance to witnesses, “didn’t appear as distraught as you’ll anticipate somebody to be for the kid having simply handed.”

He went on to say that these statements are “per the interactions that we had with [Gardner] on the hospital.” Police mentioned, although, that they don’t consider Gardner’s mom had but been made conscious that her grandson was useless.

“I don’t assume there’s a penalty on this Earth that might ever match for the crime that was dedicated right here,” Chitwood mentioned. “It completely shocks the conscience for this to even occur.”

It was the identical officer who’d tried to resuscitate Sebastian two weeks in the past who put handcuffs on Gardner Thursday at his mom’s house as he was taken into custody, per WKMG.

Within the bodycam arrest video, two people might be heard telling Gardner they love him, as famous in The New York Post’s protection, with him returning the sentiment. One of the arresting officers then mentioned, “Say goodbye, since you’re not going to come again right here once more.”

As famous by Fox News, The Nationwide Freeway Site visitors warns to “by no means go away a toddler in a automobile unattended for any size of time,” regardless of measures that could be taken to preserve temperatures down as they have an inclination to do “little to change the inside temperature of the automobile.”

Additionally they emphasised that individuals want to remember that “a toddler’s physique temperature rises three to 5 occasions sooner than an grownup’s. When a toddler is left in a automobile, that kid’s temperature can rise shortly – and the state of affairs can shortly grow to be harmful.”

“We’ve seen it, individuals neglect their youngsters in the again seat, however this was fully completely different. This was intentional,” Chitwood mentioned in Friday’s press convention. “That’s what the fees are for.”

Per The Publish, Gardner is being held in Volusia County jail on a $100,000 bond.