A father has been sentenced to 42 years in prison after leaving his 18-month-old toddler to die in a hot truck while he got a haircut and drank at a bar
A dad will spend more than 40 years behind bars after leaving his 18-month-old toddler to die inside a blistering pickup truck while he visited a barber shop and downed drinks at a nearby bar. Scott Allen Gardner, 34, from Florida, US admitted second-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated child neglect following the tragic death of Sebastian Gardner, court documents reveal.
In exchange for pleading no contest, state prosecutors agreed to drop a charge of first-degree murder. A judge in Volusia County sentenced him to a 42-year term in state prison.
Emergency services were alerted in June 2025 after the toddler was abandoned in the sweltering vehicle for more than three hours on a hot day.
According to a news release from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, Gardner left the toddler strapped into his car seat inside the truck “while Gardner got a haircut and then went drinking inside Hanky Panky’s Lounge.”
Detectives noted that Gardner spun a web of lies when first questioned about the horrific incident.
“It was estimated by medical personnel that Sebastian’s body temperature reached 111 degrees during this tragedy,” the sheriff’s office wrote in the release.
The father originally visited Classic Cuts for a trim before strolling over to the watering hole in Ormond-by-the-Sea, where he downed a beer alongside a shot of Fireball whisky, according to a police affidavit.
Around 1pm, he briefly stepped out into the sun to inspect a bartender’s car before returning inside the pub for a second beer and another shot. He failed to ring emergency services until around 2.45pm.
When police officers rushed to the scene in Ormond Beach, paramedics were unable to open the child’s jaw to perform CPR because rigor mortis had already begun to set in.
Sebastian was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was formally pronounced dead. Attending doctors noted the toddler had been dead for over an hour before arrival and reported that Gardner reeked of booze.
Sheriff Mike Chitwood confirmed officers believe the child had passed away at least one to two hours before anyone dialled 911.
Investigators further revealed that following his son’s death, Gardner and his mother went straight back to the same bar and carried on drinking until midnight.
Speaking at an emotional court hearing, Sebastian’s heartbroken mum remembered her boy as a fighter with “a beautiful smile,” bright blue eyes and “a silly little laugh that could fill a room.”
According to local news outlet WOFL, she said: “The short 18 months I had with Sebastian will never be enough but I cherish every single minute we shared together.
“It hurts beyond words to know that his life was cut terribly short and that I left grieving all the milestones we will never get to see.”
Facing her former partner in court, she added: “Scott, I carry a lot of anger for what you took from us. You took away a sweet and innocent life, and you shattered a family.”
She finished her statement by telling him: “For my own heart and for my boys, I forgive you.” Gardner has been held in custody without bail since his initial arrest in June 2025.