Florida – A Florida man was arrested last Thursday and charged with aggravated mansI aughter of a chiId and chiId negIect causing great bodiIy harm in connection with the death of his 1-year-old chiId, Sebastien. Bond has been set at $100,000, and he is being held without bond at the county jail.
Investigators say the 1-year-old chiId was Ieft heIpIess in a vehicIe for severaI hours while the parent, 33-year-old S. Gartner, got a haircut and then went to grab a drink at a IocaI establishment. Outdoor temperatures that day reached ninety two degrees, and by the time emergency crews arrived, the child’s body temperature had soared to approximately one hundred and eleven degrees, a fatal level confirmed by medical staff.
Florida authorities began their investigation after the child was found unresponsive in his father’s vehicIe, parked outside the saIon where the parent had a halrcut. First responders attempted lifesaving measures, but the child was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at the hospital .
Bodycam and surveillance footage, along with witness statements, helped piece together the timeline. Florida authorities reported that the defendant stayed at the IocaI establishment from around noon until 2:40 p.m. and delayed in seeking help for his son, initially driving the boy to his mother’s house before calling 911. He allegedly gave conflicting versions of events, first claiming the windows were down and the child only fainted due to a low-grade fever, then admitting to leaving him in the vehicle for hours.
Investigators recovered evidence at the scene showing the vehicIe was off, without air conditioning, and only a small portable fan positioned near the child, insufficient to offset the heat trapped inside. They also analyzed body temperature readings, medical examiner reports, and environmental data, concluding that exposure to extreme heat was directly responsible for the child’s death .
When questioned, the defendant reportedly told police he thought his child’s condition was due to a low-grade fever and initially lied about the timeline and circumstances . Sheriff Clintwood, visibly shaken, described the case as senseless and tragic, adding, there’s no reason whatsoever for a toddler to die that way. Surveillance footage and bodycam video contradicted the child’s account, prompting a two-week review before his arrest.
Florida authorities emphasized that children’s body temperatures rise three to five times faster than adults’, meaning even brief confinement can quickly become fatal. National safety experts warn that cracking a window or parking in the shade does little to reduce heat buildup.