JACKSONVILLE, FL – A Jacksonville man pleaded guilty Wednesday to aggravated manslaughter of a child after authorities say he placed his 8-month-old son in an intersection and ran him over, resulting in the infant’s death earlier this year.
The incident occurred on the morning of January 25, according to police records. Justin Golden, 20, was driving with his infant son Pablo and the child’s mother after leaving a Walmart parking lot when an argument broke out in the vehicle. Tensions reportedly escalated over money and baby supplies, prompting Pablo’s mother to ask to be let out of the truck.
Investigators say that as the vehicle came to a stop at an intersection, the mother exited the GMC truck. Golden then allegedly removed the infant from the vehicle and placed him in the roadway before driving off, running the baby over in the process.
Witnesses told law enforcement they saw the woman leaving the truck with empty arms and the driver placing an object in the street. One witness initially thought the object was trash, only to realize the terrible truth as the infant started to move after being struck.
Golden did not flee the scene at high speed, according to witnesses, but continued to drive away from the intersection after the incident. Emergency responders arrived quickly and transported the child to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Family members from both sides have expressed profound grief in the aftermath of the tragedy. Pablo’s maternal grandmother described the young boy as joyful, playful, and deeply loved by his family. The paternal grandmother said the families had long been close and were now united in mourning.
Police tracked down Golden not long after he left the intersection, and he was arrested on charges including aggravated manslaughter of a child and vehicular homicide. In court on Wednesday, Golden entered a guilty plea to the manslaughter charge.
Under the terms of a plea agreement, the vehicular homicide charge was dismissed. Golden is set to be sentenced on November 13.
Court documents suggest that Golden said he “did not want to be responsible for the child” as the argument escalated before the fatal incident unfolded.
The case has left a community shaken and two families in mourning as they await the sentencing of the man at the center of the tragedy. The outcome of the proceedings is expected to bring at least some measure of closure to those impacted by Pablo’s death.