A man has been charged after allegedly leaving his two-year-old daughter to die in a hot car while he played video games inside the house.
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A man allegedly left his two-year-old daughter to die in a hot car while he played video games inside the house. Credit: Ryan McVay/Getty Images
Christopher Scholtes, 37, is accused of leaving his daughter, Parker, strapped in the back of the family’s Honda Acura SUV for three hours on July 9, 2024, in Marana, just north of Tucson.
According to prosecutors, Scholtes had returned home from a shopping trip and left Parker in the vehicle while he played his PlayStation and put away groceries. It was 108°F (42°C) outside.
The toddler was found unresponsive at 4:08PM by her mother, Erika Scholtes, who then called emergency services.
According to case documents, the Pima County Medical Examiner determined that Parker’s body temperature had reached 42.7°C, the same as the blistering outside heat, The Mirror reported.
Christopher Scholtes is facing first-degree murder charges. Credit: Pima County jail
The father initially claimed Parker had only been in the car for 30 minutes and that he hadn’t removed her because she was asleep. However, CCTV footage later revealed that the little girl had been left inside the SUV for far longer.
Detectives spoke with Scholtes’ two other children, aged nine and five, and they said their dad “had left all three children alone in the vehicle regularly.” They also added that “he got distracted by playing his game and putting his food away” when their sister was in the car, per NBC News.
The horror of the day Parker tragically died was echoed in text messages between Scholtes and his wife.
“I told you to stop leaving them in the car, how many times have I told you? … We’ve lost her, she was perfect,” Erika wrote. He responded: “Babe, our family. How could I do this? I killed our baby, this can’t be real.”
Scholtes was originally charged with second-degree murder before his indictment was upgraded to first-degree murder.
He pleaded not guilty and recently rejected a plea deal that would have capped his sentence at 25 years. He now faces life in prison, or even the death penalty, if convicted.
Despite everything, Erika Scholtes pleaded with the court for leniency as her husband awaited trial.
“This was a big mistake… doesn’t represent him,” she told the judge. “I’m just asking if you can allow him to come home to us so that we can all start the grieving process, so he can bury our daughter with us this coming week and that we can go through this whole process together as a family.”
“I just want the girls to see their father – that I don’t have to tell them tonight that they’re going to have to endure another loss,” she added.
