Toddler found dead in hot car with body temperature of 110 degrees in Florida while father was in 'Hanky Panky lounge'

Daily Mail​

20-06-2025

A Florida toddler baked to death after his father left him in the back of a hot car while he went drinking at a bar, police said.
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 his death.
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 said.
'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, placing him in cuffs in what appeared to be a screened outdoor seating area.
The same Ormond Beach Police officer who attempted to revive Sebastian arrested the father-of-one, Volusia Sheriff's Office revealed.
'Honey, I love you,' his mother, Jody Thereault, can be heard saying on the arrest footage.
'Love you, guys!' he replied, looking worried as they guided him toward the squad car.
'Say goodbye, because you're not going to come back here again,' an unidentified male said.
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'.
The Daily Mail has contacted the family for comment.
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.
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.