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New update on dad whose two-year-old daughter died in 109-degree car while he allegedly watched p**nography on his PlayStation
An Arizona man has pleaded guilty to murder and child abuse charges after leaving his two-year-old daughter in a car that reached 109 degrees while he played video games inside his home.
Christopher Scholtes, 38, entered guilty pleas this week to second-degree murder and intentional child abuse likely to cause death or serious physical injury. The plea came just days before his trial was scheduled to begin.
Scholtes had previously rejected a plea deal that would have required him to plead guilty only to the murder charge and could have resulted in a prison sentence of 10 to 25 years. By rejecting that deal and accepting this one, he now faces a prison sentence of 20 to 30 years without the possibility of early release.
Prosecutors reveal details about the day of the death
On July 9, 2024, Scholtes returned home after running errands with his youngest daughter. According to court documents (obtained by People), he left the toddler in the car parked in the family’s driveway, with the air conditioning running, while he went inside to play video games.
Body camera footage showed Scholtes telling Marana Police Department officers that he left the child in her car seat because she had fallen asleep. He told officers he was distracted and forgot she was still in the vehicle.
The complaint stated that the air conditioning would have shut off after 30 minutes because Scholtes’ vehicle automatically powers down. The temperature inside the car was recorded at 109 degrees Fahrenheit.
Investigators also learned from court documents that Scholtes allegedly used the PlayStation console during that time to search for p**nography. However, earlier this month, the judge ruled that this information could not be presented during trial.
Family history of similar incidents
The child’s mother discovered the toddler in the vehicle when she arrived home, roughly three hours after Scholtes had returned. She immediately called emergency services, but it was too late.
The complaint also includes statements from the couple’s older daughters, who were 6 and 9 years old at the time. Both allegedly told police that their father had previously left them alone in the car.
In a text message sent to Scholtes as their daughter was being rushed to the hospital, his wife wrote: “I told you to stop leaving them in the car, How many times have I told you?”
Scholtes was initially released on bail and prohibited from having unsupervised contact with children. He was later granted permission to travel to Hawaii with his wife and surviving daughters before trial.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 21. Scholtes is required to turn himself in by November 3. His attorney did not respond to a request for comment.