A Florida man who left his infant son in the middle of an intersection and then ran him over with his truck will spend decades in prison.
Justin Golden, 21, received a 30-year sentence Friday after pleading guilty in September to vehicular homicide and aggravated manslaughter. The charges stem from the January death of his 8-month-old son, Pablo Golden, in Jacksonville.
During sentencing, the judge sharply criticized Golden’s actions, saying he had seen people show “more care, caution and concern for a squirrel that darts into the roadway, a lizard that is on the hood of their car.”
Golden addressed the court and apologized, accepting responsibility for his actions. “While I did not intend to kill my son, and had no criminal intent, I know that is not enough,” he said. “I failed as his protector, as his father, and I was the monster who killed him.”
According to an arrest affidavit, Golden and the baby’s mother were driving to a Walmart on the morning of Jan. 25 when they began arguing over baby wipes and money. The dispute continued until the truck stopped at an intersection. The child’s mother got out of the vehicle in an attempt to end the argument.
Investigators said Golden then told her he did not want to be responsible for the child. He removed Pablo from the truck, placed him on the roadway in the intersection, returned to the driver’s seat and drove away, running over the baby.
Multiple witnesses saw the incident unfold. One woman initially believed Golden had placed a bag of trash on the road but realized it was a child when she saw it move after the truck drove over him.
Pablo’s mother screamed as bystanders rushed to help. Paramedics transported the infant to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police later located and arrested Golden.
At sentencing, Golden’s defense attorney asked for leniency, and family members spoke on his behalf. Prosecutors argued Golden knowingly placed his son in extreme danger. The judge agreed and imposed the maximum sentence.
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