Father Goes Again to Bar After Dying of Son Deserted in Scorching Truck Whereas He Was Ingesting: Police

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

Gardner’s arrest got here on June 19, practically two weeks after he left his son Sebastian alone in a sizzling 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 cause why this little man is useless,” mentioned Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood in a press convention on Friday, per Individuals.

“We’ve seen it, individuals overlook their children within 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 provided extra particulars, in accordance with 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 verify on the bartender’s automobile after somebody had allegedly backed into it, however he didn’t right now or every other time verify 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 had been down — however he’s a mendacity sack of s–t — with somewhat mini fan with AA batteries blowing on the child.”

Much more stunning, regardless of the apparent misery of the child 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 residence.

“My son’s not respiration. A 12 months and a half. Oh my god. He simply had his eyes open. Oh my god, Sebastian,” Gardner could be heard on the 911 name reported by Individuals.

The primary responder from the Ormond Seaside Police Division tried to revive Sebastian however was unable to take action after discovering he had already gone into rigor mortis, per police filings. Investigators imagine he’d been useless as much as 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.

In any case 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 with police, the pair stayed on the bar till round midnight that night time, with one investigator telling the press that, in accordance with witnesses, “didn’t appear as distraught as you’d 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 imagine 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 would 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 residence as he was taken into custody, per WKMG.

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

As famous by Fox Information, The Nationwide Freeway Visitors warns to “by no means depart a baby in a automobile unattended for any size of time,” no matter measures that is likely to be taken to maintain temperatures down as they have a tendency to do “little to vary the inside temperature of the automobile.”

Additionally they emphasised that folks have to be conscious that “a baby’s physique temperature rises three to 5 occasions quicker than an grownup’s. When a baby is left in a automobile, that kid’s temperature can rise rapidly – and the state of affairs can rapidly turn out to be harmful.”

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

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