A Florida father has pleaded guilty months after a roadside argument spiraled into tragedy, ending with his 8-month-old son fatally run over. Justin Golden, 20, admitted in court to aggravated manslaughter of a child; prosecutors dropped a separate vehicular-homicide count as part of the deal. He’ll be sentenced on November 13.
The case stems from the morning of January 25 in Jacksonville. Investigators say Golden stopped at the intersection of Lenox Avenue and McDuff Avenue during an argument with the baby’s mother, removed his infant son from a GMC truck, placed the child on the roadway, and drove off, running over the boy as he left. The baby, identified by family as Pablo Kye Golden, was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead.
Justin Golden, 20, pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter of a child in the death of his son Pablo Kye Golden. https://t.co/N8cDJyGG6n
— First Coast News (@FCN2go) September 3, 2025
An arrest report later detailed the explosive lead-up: the fight reportedly centered on “baby wipes and money” after a Walmart run. The mother told police she wanted out of the truck to end the argument; Golden allegedly replied he “did not want to be responsible for the child.”
A witness driving behind the truck told investigators she initially thought the object set in the road was a “bag of trash,” until she saw it move right after the truck rolled forward. She said the driver didn’t speed away. That detail, pulled from the arrest report, underscored how surreal the moment felt for bystanders who watched the scene unfold.
Police quickly located and arrested Golden, who was initially booked on aggravated manslaughter and vehicular-homicide charges. Authorities said the dispute inside the vehicle preceded the stop at the intersection and the deadly sequence that followed.
Justin Golden was also originally charged with vehicular homicide and faced a maximum of 60 years for both charges combined, but that charge was dropped.
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— News4JAX (@wjxt4) September 3, 2025
As the criminal case moved forward, both sides of Pablo’s family came together in grief. At a February vigil, his maternal grandmother Evelyn called the baby their “little sunshine,” saying he had a smile that could brighten any room. Pablo’s paternal grandmother, Marie, stood beside her, emphasizing that the families were united despite the heartbreak.
In February, Golden initially signaled he would plead not guilty while his defense reviewed newly disclosed body-cam, surveillance, and witness evidence. That stance ultimately gave way to Wednesday’s plea, which carries a maximum 30-year sentence for aggravated manslaughter. The dropped vehicular-homicide count had previously doubled his potential exposure.
What began as a petty blow-up over baby supplies ended with an unthinkable loss and a courtroom admission that cements responsibility. With sentencing set for November 13, the community that watched this case in stunned disbelief now awaits the judge’s decision.
Court records and local news reports indicate Golden faces 13 to 30 years in prison under the plea deal, reflecting the severity of his actions and offering a sense of closure to a devastated community.
