Arizona Man Charged in Hot Car Death of 2-Year-Old Daughter Was Distracted by Video Games
(nypost)
An Arizona man facing a murder charge in the hot car death of his 2-year-old daughter was “distracted by playing video games” and “regularly” left all three of his children alone in a car, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY.
Christopher Scholtes, 37, was putting groceries away and playing video games after leaving the toddler in the car for hours in triple-digit temperatures last week at the family’s home in Marana, a town about 100 miles south of Phoenix. He is now facing second-degree murder and child abuse charges.
Court documents reveal that Scholtes told police his daughter was fast asleep in the car when he got home from running errands, and he “did not want to wake her up.” He left the car running with air conditioning and “wanted her to remain in the vehicle while she slept.” However, the A/C automatically shuts off after 30 minutes, something Scholtes was aware of.
Scholtes didn’t realize he had forgotten his daughter in the hot car until his wife, Erika, returned home from work a couple of hours later and asked where the toddler was. The couple found the 2-year-old unresponsive and “still strapped in her child restraint system.” They attempted “life-saving measures” on the girl but were ultimately unable to revive her. She was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
“Video surveillance obtained does not show Christopher checking on his vehicle or daughter” before Erika got home from work a little after 4 p.m., court records state. “When she asked where the 2-year-old was, he began to check the rooms of the home and then realized he had left her in the vehicle,” according to court documents. A 911 call was placed minutes later, KPLC-TV News reported.
“The reported temperature was 109 degrees at the time of the call … Christopher knew that he had left his 2-year-old daughter in the vehicle,” the documents state. While the 2-year-old was being transported to the hospital, Scholtes received multiple text messages from Erika, reminding him to “stop leaving them in the car.”
Scholtes apologized, writing: “Babe I’m sorry! … Babe our family. How could I do this? I killed our baby, this can’t be real.” Multiple electronics, including a PlayStation, were seized by authorities as part of the ongoing investigation, according to an ABC affiliate. Scholtes’ 2023 Acura MDX was also taken by Marana Police Department detectives, the outlet reported.
A preliminary hearing has been set for Thursday, Aug. 1, when official charges will be announced, according to Pima County Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Shawndrea Thomas.
