Man, 20, Accused of Leaving 8-Month-Old Baby 'in the Roadway' Before Fatally Hitting Him with Car: Police

A 20-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of fatally hitting an 8-month-old baby with his car after he allegedly left the child on the road following an argument with a female passenger.

On Saturday, Jan. 25 at around 10:39 a.m. local time, officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) in Florida “were notified of and responded to the intersection of Lenox Avenue and McDuff Avenue in reference to a crash involving a single vehicle and a child,” per a release obtained by PEOPLE.  

“Upon arrival, they located what appeared to be an infant in the roadway, and witnesses advising 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,” the release added.

In a Facebook post, the JSO identified the suspect as Justin Golden, 20, claiming 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.” 

“Golden took the baby out of the car before leaving the scene, hitting the baby with the car. The baby died,” police added, confirming the suspect “was quickly taken into custody” and is now facing charges 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 the social media post.

The JSO recalled of the incident in Saturday’s release obtained by PEOPLE, “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.”

A JSO spokesperson wasn’t able to confirm “the relationship between the three in the vehicle” when contacted by PEOPLE. Local outlet WJXT citing JSO reported that it’s believed the two adults in the car were the baby’s parents.

“This is a tragic and senseless loss of life,” the JSO added in a statement, per Fox 35 Orlando.

According to JSO inmate records, Golden’s next court date is on Feb. 18 at 9 a.m.

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Markin Barnes, who was working at his barbershop across the street when the tragedy occurred, told WJXT, “The kid was bleeding. So we immediately asked did she [the woman] need help.”

“It’s going to be prayers and thoughts for the family,” Barnes said.

“It’s rough you know, dealing with kids and young, it’s definitely going to be a traumatic situation,” he added, per the outlet.

The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.