A Florida father has been sentenced to 42 years in prison after admitting responsibility in the death of his 18-month-old son, who died after being left alone inside a sweltering pickup truck for more than three hours while the father got a haircut and spent time drinking at a local bar.
Scott Allen Gardner, 34, entered a no-contest plea to charges of second-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated child neglect in connection with the death of his son, Sebastian Gardner. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dropped a first-degree murder charge. A Volusia County judge imposed the 42-year prison sentence following the plea.
Child Left Alone in Scorching Truck
According to investigators, the tragedy occurred on June 6, 2025. Authorities said Gardner left Sebastian strapped into his car seat inside his pickup truck while temperatures inside the vehicle rose to deadly levels.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said Gardner first stopped at Classic Cuts for a haircut before driving to Hanky Panky’s Lounge in Ormond-by-the-Sea, where he remained for hours drinking alcohol.
Investigators determined the toddler was left inside the hot truck for more than three hours.
Medical personnel later estimated that Sebastian’s body temperature reached approximately 111 degrees during the incident.
Investigators Say Father Went Drinking
According to the probable cause affidavit cited by local reports, Gardner visited the bar after getting his haircut and ordered a bottle of beer along with a shot of Fireball whiskey.
Around 1 p.m., he briefly stepped outside after a bartender asked him to check on her vehicle. Authorities said he returned inside shortly afterward and continued drinking, ordering another beer and another shot.
Investigators said Gardner did not call 911 until approximately 2:45 p.m.
First Responders Found Toddler Beyond Rescue
When emergency responders arrived, they discovered Sebastian inside the truck.
Authorities said first responders were unable to open the toddler’s mouth to establish an airway because rigor mortis had already begun to set in, indicating the child had been dead for some time before help was requested.
Sebastian was transported to a local hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.
An emergency room physician reportedly concluded the child had been deceased for more than an hour before arriving at the hospital and also noted that Gardner smelled of alcohol.
Sheriff’s Office Says Father Gave False Accounts
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said Gardner repeatedly provided investigators with false versions of what happened before detectives ultimately arrested him in June 2025.
Sheriff Mike Chitwood previously stated that investigators believed Sebastian had likely been dead for one to two hours before anyone contacted emergency services.
Authorities also alleged that after the child’s death, Gardner and his mother returned to Hanky Panky’s Lounge and remained there drinking until around midnight.
Emotional Statement From Sebastian’s Mother
During the sentencing hearing, Sebastian’s mother delivered an emotional victim impact statement describing her son as a happy little boy with a bright personality.
She remembered him as a fighter with “a beautiful smile,” bright blue eyes, and a “silly little laugh” that could brighten any room.
She told the court that although Sebastian lived only 18 months, every moment with him was precious and that she continues to grieve the milestones he will never experience.
Speaking directly to Gardner, she said he had taken away an innocent child’s life and shattered their family.
Despite her grief, she concluded her statement by saying that, for the sake of her own healing and her children, she forgave him.
Plea Agreement Ends Murder Case
Gardner had remained in custody without bond since his arrest in June 2025.
By pleading no contest, he avoided standing trial on the original first-degree murder charge, which prosecutors dismissed as part of the agreement. However, the court still sentenced him to 42 years in a Florida state prison for Sebastian’s death.
The case has drawn widespread attention as another tragic reminder of the deadly consequences of leaving children unattended inside hot vehicles, where temperatures can rise rapidly to fatal levels within minutes.
