A Duval County judge on Friday sentenced Justin Golden to 30 years in state prison for killing his 8-month-old son, Pablo, by placing the child in a Westside intersection and driving over him during a January dispute. Golden, 21, pleaded guilty in September to aggravated manslaughter of a child.
Friday’s decision capped an 11-month case that began at Lenox and McDuff avenues and moved through multiple hearings that drew family members on both sides. Prosecutors argued the death was the foreseeable result of a deliberate choice, while Golden’s attorney asked for a sharply reduced sentence, calling it a tragic mistake. Judge London Kite said the conduct was “gross and flagrant” and went beyond poor judgment, noting video and witness accounts that tracked the minutes before Pablo was run over. The sentence matched the statutory maximum for the plea and exceeded the 25 years requested by the state.
The fatal incident unfolded late in the morning on Jan. 25 at a stop in the roadway as Golden argued with the child’s mother. Investigators said the dispute began during a Walmart run and included remarks about “baby wipes and money.” According to arrest records and witness statements, Golden opened his truck door, removed Pablo from the vehicle and set him on the pavement. He then got back behind the wheel and pulled forward; the truck’s left rear tire rolled over the baby. Bystanders called 911 as the child’s mother screamed for help. Paramedics took Pablo to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police located Golden a short time later and arrested him without incident.
In court Friday, Assistant State Attorney John Kalinowski told the judge the evidence showed Golden knowingly placed his child in harm’s way and then drove in a manner that made the outcome nearly indistinguishable from an intentional killing. He referenced video reviewed during the case and contrasted Golden’s actions with the care drivers often show for animals darting into the road. Defense attorney Kenneth Williams urged leniency, proposing a year in the county jail, probation and a license suspension, and presented statements from Golden’s father and grandfather describing him as remorseful and nonviolent. Golden, speaking softly at the lectern, apologized to Pablo’s mother and relatives, saying he accepted punishment and “failed as his protector.”
Records show Golden initially faced aggravated manslaughter of a child and vehicular homicide, a combination that carried up to 60 years. The vehicular homicide count was dropped under a plea agreement; Golden admitted aggravated manslaughter, a first-degree felony, in September. Prosecutors said they would seek 25 years at sentencing. The defense twice sought delays to present additional witnesses and mitigation letters, including a written plea from Golden to avoid prison. The court scheduled Friday’s session after earlier continuances in November and Dec. 12, when two defense witnesses were unavailable.
Neighbors in the Water Edge area of the Westside told investigators they saw a truck stopped in the lane, a door ajar and items in the road just before the baby was struck. Police documented skid and travel paths and collected surveillance that captured parts of the encounter. Detectives also interviewed drivers who pulled over and a witness who at first believed the object set in the street was trash until it moved. The medical examiner ruled Pablo’s death a homicide caused by blunt-force injuries consistent with being run over by a vehicle. Police did not identify any mechanical defects in Golden’s truck that would have altered the vehicle’s movement at the intersection.
The case reverberated across Jacksonville in the weeks after the arrest, with hundreds attending a vigil described by relatives as a memorial for a cheerful infant who had not reached his first birthday. At earlier hearings, a detective testified that Golden repeatedly asked whether he was “going to get in trouble” after learning Pablo had died. Family members and pastors told the court the death left both families grieving together. Friday’s hearing again divided the gallery, with quiet sobs from both sides as Kite read the sentence. Court security escorted participants out in small groups as reporters waited in the hallway.
Following the sentence, Golden was remanded to the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections to begin serving his term. Standard post-sentencing steps include the filing of a written judgment and sentence, calculation of credit for time served in the Duval County jail and a designation to a reception center before transfer to a long-term facility. Any appeal would challenge the sentence’s legality rather than the conviction, which came by plea. Prosecutors said they would file a restitution motion covering funeral and related costs; a hearing date had not been set.
Outside the courtroom, Pablo’s relatives declined extended comment, saying they were relieved to have a resolution before the end of the year. “We miss him every day,” a family member said as she left the building. Williams, the defense lawyer, said Golden accepted the outcome and would focus on self-improvement while incarcerated. A spokesman for the State Attorney’s Office called the case “devastating” and said the sentence reflected the evidence and the child’s age. Court administrators said a certified transcript of Friday’s hearing would be available once prepared by the reporter’s office.
As of Friday evening, the 30-year sentence and the court’s written order were the final actions in the docket. No additional hearings were scheduled. The State Attorney’s Office said it would release a short case summary after the paperwork is filed next week.
Author note: Last updated December 20, 2025.