A father has been charged with first-degree murder after leaving his two-year-old daughter to die in a sweltering hot car whilst he watched pornography, drank alcohol and played video games inside his home.
Christopher Scholtes, 37, faces accusations he left his toddler daughter Parker in a vehicle during extreme 32C heat in Tucson, Arizona, in July last year whilst he became fatally distracted inside.
His 2003 Acura had been left running with the air conditioning switched on before he went indoors, a court in Tucson heard. However, the vehicle’s engine turned off, leaving the helpless child trapped in temperatures that soared above 42C.
Child Left for Over Three Hours in Deadly Heat
Scholtes allegedly left his daughter in the car from 12.53pm until after 4pm, when his wife Erika returned home from work at Banner University Medical Centre, the same hospital to which Parker was later rushed.
The Pima County Medical Examiner confirmed that first responders found the temperature inside the vehicle exceeded 42C when they arrived at the scene. The toddler’s cause of death was ruled as heat exposure.
Court documents revealed that between 2.02pm and 2.30pm, Scholtes searched for pornography and clothing online whilst his daughter remained trapped in the increasingly deadly heat.
The accused had visited a petrol station and supermarket before returning home and leaving Parker in the vehicle. The court heard he shoplifted alcohol from both shops, which he consumed as his daughter was dying.
Desperate Mother’s Texts Reveal Pattern of Negligence
Frantic text messages exchanged between Scholtes and his wife as they rushed to hospital revealed this was not an isolated incident.
“I told you to stop leaving them in the car, how many times have I told you,” Erika Scholtes wrote, suggesting her husband had repeatedly left their children unattended in vehicles despite her warnings.
She added: “We’ve lost her, she was perfect.”
Scholtes replied: “Babe I’m sorry! How could I do this. I killed our baby, this can’t be real.”
The devastating messages indicate the mother had previously confronted her husband about the dangerous habit, making the tragedy all the more preventable.
Couple’s Other Children Confirm Father’s Repeated Neglect
The couple’s two other children told police officers their father frequently left all three siblings in the car unattended.
The children revealed to investigators that on the day of Parker’s death, their father “got distracted by playing his game and putting his food away” after returning home.
Their testimony suggests Scholtes routinely prioritised his own activities over the safety of his young children, creating a pattern of neglect that ultimately proved fatal.
Mother Defends Husband Despite Evidence
Despite the damning evidence and her own text messages acknowledging her husband’s repeated negligence, Erika Scholtes defended him in court.
She described Parker’s death as a “mistake” rather than criminal negligence, standing by her husband as he faces first-degree murder charges.
Her position as a medical professional at the hospital where her daughter was treated adds a particularly tragic dimension to the case.
Discovery and Failed Rescue Attempt
When Erika returned home from her shift at Banner University Medical Centre shortly after 4pm, she asked her husband where their daughter was.
The pair then raced to the car in a desperate attempt to rescue Parker, who had been trapped in the deadly heat for over three hours.
Paramedics arrived shortly afterwards and rushed the unresponsive toddler to hospital, but despite medical efforts, she died just one hour later.
By the time emergency services reached the scene, Parker had been exposed to extreme temperatures for a fatal length of time, leaving doctors unable to reverse the catastrophic effects of heat exposure on her small body.
Hot Car Deaths Remain Preventable Tragedy
The case highlights the ongoing danger of children being left in hot vehicles, a preventable tragedy that claims dozens of young lives across the United States each year.
Temperatures inside vehicles can rise rapidly, even on moderately warm days, reaching lethal levels within minutes. Young children are particularly vulnerable due to their smaller body size and limited ability to regulate temperature.
Medical experts consistently warn that leaving children unattended in vehicles, even briefly, can prove fatal. The interior of a car can heat up by 20 degrees within just 10 minutes, turning the enclosed space into a deadly oven.
Criminal Charges Reflect Severity of Neglect
The first-degree murder charge brought against Scholtes reflects prosecutors’ belief that his actions went beyond simple negligence to constitute intentional or extremely reckless conduct.
First-degree murder typically requires proof that the defendant acted with premeditation or showed extreme indifference to human life. The lengthy period Parker was left in the car, combined with evidence Scholtes was engaging in leisure activities rather than caring for his child, likely influenced the charging decision.
If convicted, Scholtes faces a potential life sentence for causing his daughter’s preventable death through what prosecutors will argue was wilful neglect amounting to murder.
The case serves as a devastating reminder of the sacred responsibility parents bear to protect their children and the catastrophic consequences when that duty is abandoned for selfish pursuits.
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