Florida Dad Who Sat His 8-Month-Old in Street and Ran Him Over Learns His Fate

Every couple has disagreements, but for one Florida father, a domestic dispute turned dark…and fatal, after he ran over his own 8-month-old son during an argument with the infant’s mother. Now, after calling himself a “monster” in court, Golden has finally learned his fate.

Justin Golden and the mother of his infant, Pablo Kye Golden, just left a Jacksonville Walmart on Jan. 25. The couple began to argue over “baby wipes and money,” according to an arrest affidavit obtained by Law & Crime, at an intersection. The woman said she wanted to get out of the vehicle to put an end to the fight when Golden told her he “did not want to be responsible for the child.”

During their spat, Golden left the driver’s seat of his GMC truck, removed the 8-month-old from the car and placed him in the street. Witnesses reportedly said they thought Golden placed “a bag of trash” on the ground, but it was really Pablo.

Golden returned to the vehicle and drove forward, running over the infant, local news station WTLV-TV reported, citing police. “In a span of three to four seconds, Pablo Golden went from being safely in the car to being killed and run over by his father,” prosecutor John Kalinowski said in court.

One witness said “she saw it move,” and that’s when she realized Golden ran over a child. Paramedics rushed Pablo to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Golden fled the scene but was later arrested. He pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and aggravated manslaughter of a child in September, Law & Crime reported. As part of a plea deal, the vehicular homicide charge was dismissed. 

“I was the monster who killed him,” he confessed, according to WTLV-TV. “While I did not intend to kill my son and had no criminal intent, I know that is not enough,” he added, noting that he “failed as his protector, as his father.” He also said he deserved punishment and apologized to his family.

Golden’s attorney asked for a one-year sentence in county jail, while prosecutors asked for 25 years, far exceeding the maximum recommended punishment of 13 years, local news station WTOC 11 reported.

Golden’s grandfather Tony Harden testified on his behalf during his sentencing hearing, asking the judge, “How can you punish somebody for an accident? If I accidentally step on someone’s feet, I wouldn’t want you to punish me.” And in February, Golden’s mother Rose Harden said the incident was just a tragic accident.

However, Judge London Kite didn’t quite see Pablo’s death as an accident. On Friday, Judge Kite sentenced Golden to 30 years in prison, with credit for 328 days served.

Golden pleaded with the judge to help him avoid prison because he’s still young and doesn’t want to spend the next chapter of his life in a system that his mother fought hard to keep him from, in a letter obtained by News4JAX.

At a sentencing hearing, Detective Justin Brown spoke about Golden’s reaction after learning Pablo– described as a bright, happy baby with the prettiest smile– died. “He became very animated,” Detective Brown alleged. “Several times, he asked, ‘Am I going to get in trouble for this?’”