An Arizona man facing a murder charge in the hot car death of his 2-year-old daughter was “distracted playing video games” and “regularly” left his three children alone in a car, according to court documents obtained by USA TODAY.
Christopher Scholtes, 37, was putting away groceries and playing video games after leaving his son in the car for hours in triple-digit temperatures last week at the family home in Marana, a town about 100 miles south of Phoenix. He now faces charges of second-degree murder and child abuse.
Court documents reveal that Scholtes He told the police His daughter was fast asleep in the car when he got home from running errands and he “didn’t want to wake her up.” He left the car running with the air conditioning on and “wanted her to stay in the vehicle while she slept.” However, the air conditioning 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, came home from work a couple of hours later and asked where the little girl was. The couple found the 2-year-old unconscious and “Still strapped into her child restraint system.They attempted “life-saving measures” on the girl, but ultimately were unable to revive her. She was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
“The video surveillance obtained does not show Christopher searching his vehicle or his daughter” before Erika arrived home from work shortly after 4 p.m., according to court records. “When she asked where the 2-year-old was, he began searching 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 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, “Honey, I’m sorry! … Honey, our family. How could I do this? I killed our baby, this can’t be real.” Authorities seized several electronic devices, including a PlayStation, as part of the ongoing investigation, according to a news release. ABC affiliateScholtes’ 2023 Acura MDX was also impounded by Marana Police Department detectives, the outlet reported.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 1, when official charges will be announced, according to Pima County District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Shawndrea Thomas.