Public opinion in Arizona, USA was left speechless by prosecutors’ revelations about a father who let his two-year-old daughter die in a car during a heatwave. Prosecutors accuse Christopher Scholtes of drinking beer, playing video games and watching adult content on July 9, 2024 when his daughter, Parker, died from exposure to high temperatures inside one of the family’s cars, while the temperature outside reached 44 degrees Celsius (111°F)! The 37-year-old pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges following his daughter’s death. But during a hearing in Tucson, Arizona on Tuesday, prosecutors argued that Scholtes had previously left his children unsupervised in cars on other occasions, citing as evidence witness testimony and text messages between him and his wife, which were obtained during the criminal investigation.
The 37-year-old had previously left his children in the car to play video games
Prosecutors claim that in this specific case, Scholtes had become so absorbed in video games and adult content that he left his little daughter in the parked car at the entrance of their home in Marana, Arizona for over three hours, resulting in her death.
They also presented text messages they believe show a pattern of negligent behavior from the father, who frequently left his children inside vehicles. Two of his daughters informed police that he had left them in cars in the past and often “gets distracted playing games,” according to police records.
The 37-year-old confessed to authorities that he left his two-year-old daughter in the car with the air conditioning running for 30 minutes, as she had fallen asleep during their return from shopping. He later admitted that the car’s engine automatically shuts off after half an hour.
Police bodycam footage shows 37-year-old Christopher Scholtes moments after learning that his 2-year-old daughter had died after being left in a hot car in 109°F heat.
Scholtes was arrested in July, and accused of leaving his daughter, Parker, in the car while he played video… pic.twitter.com/Yuex3R67M1
— Morbid Knowledge (@Morbidful) August 16, 2024
When his doctor wife, Erica, returned home, she found their little girl unconscious in the car. The messages exchanged between the couple suggest that Scholtes has left his children in the car several times. “I told you to stop leaving them in the car, how many times have I said it,” Erica wrote to him. “We lost her, she was perfect.”
Prosecutors claim that the 37-year-old confessed to his wife that he “killed our baby” and apologized for his horrific negligence.
