Arizona Dad Whose Daughter, 2, Died in 109-Degree Hot Car While He Played Video Games Gets Plea Deal

Arizona Father Accepts Plea Deal After Daughter Dies in 109-Degree Hot Car

An Arizona man faced with charges of murdering his 2-year-old daughter after she tragically passed away in a scorching hot car in the family’s driveway has agreed to a plea deal. Christopher Scholtes, aged 38, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and intentional child abuse likely to cause death or serious physical injury. This decision took place just days before his trial was supposed to commence, which came as a surprise considering he had previously turned down a similar plea deal that would only have required him to plead guilty to the murder charge.

Scholtes, who had rejected the initial plea offer leading to 10 to 25 years in prison, will now be facing between 20 and 30 years in prison under the terms of the deal, sans the possibility of early release. Had he opted for a trial, Scholtes could have potentially received a life sentence or even the death penalty. The father-of-three was taken into custody after leaving his youngest child in the car while he indulged in video game entertainment on July 9, 2024. Court documents revealed that Scholtes even searched for pornography on his PlayStation during that time, though this detail was later deemed inadmissible in court.

Upon his wife’s return home that day, she discovered the tragedy three hours after Scholtes had returned home with the toddler. The temperature inside the vehicle had soared to a dangerous 109 degrees Fahrenheit. Subsequently, body camera footage depicted Scholtes admitting to leaving his daughter in the car while conversing with officers from the Marana Police Department upon their arrival at the scene. According to the details, he justified leaving the child behind with the air conditioning on because she was asleep in her car seat, indicating that he was diverted and forgot about her, claiming to be aware that the car engine would turn off after 30 minutes.

Further investigation revealed that Scholtes had allegedly left his older daughters, aged 6 and 9 at the time, alone in the car before. Text messages sent by his wife upon their daughter being rushed to the hospital added weight to these claims, with her explicitly instructing him to refrain from leaving the children in the car. Following his release on bail, Scholtes was prohibited from unsupervised time with children, but he was later granted permission to travel to Hawaii with his family ahead of his trial. Sentencing for the case has been scheduled for November 21, with Scholtes required to surrender himself three weeks prior on November 3.

Although Scholtes has not responded to comment requests, his tragic case serves as a reminder of the devastating consequences of negligence, especially when it comes to the safety and well-being of young children. This plea deal marks a significant chapter in a harrowing tale that continues to highlight the importance of responsible and vigilant parenting. The hope is that such incidents serve as cautionary tales to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.