Florida – A Florida man pleaded guilty last week to aggravated mansIaughter of a chiId, admitting that he r an over and kiIIed his chiId, PabIo . The defendant, 20-year-old J. GoIden, was also formerly charged with vehicuIar homicide, though that count was dropped under his plea deal. The parent is awaiting sentencing on November 13.
The incident that led to the charges took place on the morning of January 25 in Florida. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the defendant was driving his vehicIe with his 8-month-old chiId, PabIo, and the baby’s mother as passengers when he got into an argument with the mother.
Florida authorities say the defendant stopped at an intersection, opened the door of the vehicIe, and pIaced the baby on the ground. He then drove off, and the child was struck by the vehicIe as he left the scene.
Witnesses who were nearby told Florida authorities that they saw the child in the roadway after the parent left the vehicIe. One witness said they believed the baby was a bag or object on the road at first, before realizing it was the child and seeing the vehicIe strike him. Members of the Fire and Rescue Department transported the infant to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The victim’s mother told local news media after the incident that she believed the tragedy was not intentional but “a tragic accident.” The baby’s grandparents, maternal and paternal, also spoke publicly about how devastating the loss has been to both families.
The investigation included gathering witness statements from people who were in the area, reviewing the sequence of events reported by the mother and other witnesses, and analyzing where the child was placed and how the vehicle moved. The Sheriff’s Office worked with the State Attorney’s Office to determine which charges to file. Initially vehicuIar homicide was among them, but under the plea agreement prosecutors accepted the aggravated mansIaughter charge as sufficient.
The case prompted public concern and statements from law enforcement that the act was preventable. Florida authorities described the placing of the child in the roadway as an especially dangerous decision. The plea deal could carry a maximum sentence of 30 years for the parent
He remains in custody in the county jail. Sentencing is scheduled for November 13, and the victim’s family has asked for justice for the 8-month-old child.