JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Body-worn camera footage and hours of interrogation video are filling in critical details about what happened the day 21-year-old Justin Golden struck and killed his son, 8-month-old Pablo Golden, with a car, and whether Golden intended to hit his child.
According to the interrogation video, the tragedy unfolded after an argument between Golden and the child’s mother inside the car.
Investigators said the mother got out of the car and left 8-month-old Pablo inside. Golden told detectives that’s when he took the baby out of the car and sat him on the ground.
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Body camera footage shows investigators arriving at the scene, pointing out a pacifier and blood in the roadway. In the video, you can hear them discussing what witnesses reported seeing.
One witness told police she was behind Golden’s car at a traffic light on McDuff Avenue when she saw a woman get out of the passenger side. She said Golden placed the baby on the sidewalk, then drove away, not realizing the baby had moved back into the road.
“He just opened the door, laid the baby down… put the baby out like it was a bag of trash,” the witness later said.
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That same witness followed Golden in her car while calling the police. Officers eventually detained Golden, later bringing him in for questioning.
During the interrogation, detectives pressed Golden about why he put the baby outside the car.
“You don’t want Pablo in the car because you don’t want to be responsible for him, right?” one investigator asked. Golden replied, “Right.”
Golden told detectives he didn’t want the child’s mother accusing him of kidnapping, something he claimed she often threatened.
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But investigators said Golden didn’t know what happened to Pablo until they told him directly in the interrogation room.
“You started to drive away,” a detective said. “Unfortunately, you struck him with your car. Mr. Pablo was transported to the hospital. Unfortunately, he did not survive.” Golden responded, “I’m in trouble for that?”
Golden has since pleaded guilty in the case. He’s scheduled to be sentenced on Friday, December 12.
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