20-year-old Justin Golden is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to aggravated manslaughter of a child in the death of his 8-month-old son.
A Florida father has pleaded guilty after a devastating incident in which he left his 8-month-old son in the middle of an intersection and then ran him over with his truck.
Justin Golden, 20, appeared in court on Wednesday and admitted guilt to aggravated manslaughter of a child. The charge of vehicular homicide was dropped as part of his plea deal, according to Law&Crime. He will be sentenced on November 13.
The tragedy unfolded on January 25 after Golden, his infant son Pablo, and the baby’s mother left a Walmart and began arguing inside Golden’s GMC truck. According to an arrest report, the couple fought over “baby wipes and money.” When the mother asked to get out of the car, Golden allegedly told her he “did not want to be responsible for the child.”
Once the truck stopped at an intersection, police say the mother exited the vehicle. Golden then placed Pablo in the road, got back behind the wheel, and drove off, running over his son in the process.
A witness driving behind the GMC told police she first thought Golden had placed “a bag of trash” on the ground. But then, “she saw it move” after Golden’s truck rolled over it. The witness said Golden “did not speed away” but continued driving.
Pablo’s mother said she “heard screaming” after she left the vehicle and turned around to see her baby in the middle of the road. Pablo was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
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Both sides of the family were left shattered by the loss. Pablo’s maternal grandmother, Evelyn, told WJXT in February, “He loved smiling, loved playing with his brother, he loved his mom, he loved his dad. His mom loves him, his dad loves him, this is just a tragic event.”
His paternal grandmother, Marie, added that both families were united in grief: “We didn’t just start to be friends, this goes way back.”
