A man who is 20 years old has been detained on suspicion of killing hitting an 8-month-old baby with his automobile. It is said that he left the youngster on the road after an argument with a female passenger.
According to a release, police from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) in Florida were informed about and responded to a crash that involved a single vehicle and a child near the intersection of Lenox Avenue and McDuff Avenue on Saturday, January 25, at approximately 10:39 a.m. local time.
“Upon arrival, they located what appeared to be an infant in the roadway, and witnesses advised the child was struck by a vehicle that had left the scene. Members of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department arrived and transported the child to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased,” according to the release added.
The JSO identified the culprit as Justin Golden, 20, in a Facebook post. They said that he had been “driving with a female passenger and the 8-month-old baby in the car when he and the passenger got into an argument.”
Before leaving the scene, Golden removed the baby from the automobile, but the baby was struck by the car in the process.
The police confirmed that the baby died. They also stated that the defendant was “quickly taken into custody” and is now facing accusations of “aggravated manslaughter and vehicular homicide for taking this young life.”
“Golden is locked up in the Duval County jail for his actions. The investigation continues. We, with our partners at the State Attorney’s Office, will stop at nothing to get justice for the baby,” police concluded.
In a statement released on Saturday, the JSO remembered the incident: “As the vehicle approached the intersection, the male driver and female passenger were involved in an altercation. Upon stopping at the intersection, the driver opened his door and placed the child in the roadway. He then drove off, running the child over as he left the area.”
It was impossible for a JSO representative to verify “the relationship between the three in the vehicle.” The baby’s parents are thought to have been the two individuals in the automobile.
“This is a tragic and senseless loss of life,” the JSO said in a statement.
Golden’s next court date is February 18 at 9 a.m., per JSO inmate records.
The kid was bleeding,” said Markin Barnes, who was at his barbershop across the street when the tragedy happened. We thus inquired right away if the woman needed assistance.
Barnes stated, “It will be prayers and thoughts for the family.”
He continued, “It’s difficult, you know, dealing with kids and young, it’s definitely going to be a traumatic situation.”
