Scott Allen Gardner, South Daytona, Florida dad charged with hot car death of toddler son, Sebastian Gardner, who he left unattended in scorching vehicle for 3 hours to go drinking at the Hanky Panky lounge.
A Florida father has been charged with his 18 month old son’s hot car death after the parent is alleged to have left the boy unattended in the scorching vehicle while going drinking at a local bar.
Sebastian Gardner, 18 months, had a body temperature of more than 110 degrees when he was found in the back of the vehicle on June 6.
His father, Scott Allen Gardner, 33, of South Daytona, was arrested on aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect charges on Thursday in connection with the toddler boy’s death.
Family start GoFundme for toddler boy before it being shut down after dad’s arrest
Gardner allegedly left his son in his truck in 92F heat for more than three hours while he got a haircut and went drinking inside Ormond Beach’s Hanky Panky’s Lounge, Volusia Sheriff’s Office stated in a Facebook release.
‘During the investigation, Gardner gave multiple false accounts of what occurred that day,’ police said.
A neighbor told 6 ABC that Gardner told her the little boy died of a fever.
Police attempted to revive Sebastian, whose body temperature was 111 degrees, but were unsuccessful.
Authorities apprehended Gardner at his mother’s house in Ormond Beach.
Gardner was booked into the county jail on a $100,000 bond.
The family started a now-closed GoFundMe for the child’s funeral expenses, garnering $2,828.
‘During this time of profound grief, as we [mourn] the sudden and unexpected passing of little Sebastian,’ the fundraiser, created before Gardner’s arrest, read.
‘I ask for prayers for Scott Gardner, Jodi (Martineau) Thereault and family as well as help with raising money for any possible expenses and other needs that may arise as his family will need to take time off from work to grieve, make arrangements, and support each other through this tragic loss.
‘No parent should ever have to experience the pain of losing a child. I hope they can find some comfort in the love and support surrounding them.’
The family described the little boy as having a ‘bright light’, who will ‘forever remain in the hearts of all who knew and loved him’.
It remained unclear if the family shut down the fundraiser following the father’s arrest or GoFundme itself – which forbids fundraising for criminal charges.
Hot car preventable deaths
The toddler’s death is the latest fatality related to hot car deaths, with child deaths usually linked to hypothermia.
Hypothermia is the condition of having an abnormally low body temperature, typically below 95°F (35°C). In the context of hot car deaths, it refers to the extreme heat-related deaths of children, often infants, who are left in a vehicle during warm weather, leading to a dangerous rise in their body temperatures.
Last year, nearly 40 children died of heat stroke from being left inside a car. There have been seven such deaths so far this year.
According to advocacy group Kids and Car Safety, there were 29 deaths in 2023, 41 in 2024, and eight so far in 2025.
Nearly 90 percent of children who die in hot cars are below the age of three and are usually, ‘unknowingly left by an otherwise loving, responsible parent or caregiver,’ according to Kids and Car Safety.
The organization recommends parents leave a baby-related item, like a diaper bag, in the front seat of the car as a reminder or make a habit of opening the backdoor every time they leave their vehicle.
It also recommended they make sure children do not have access to a parked, hot car and to keep keys out of children’s reach.
