An Arizona man admitted to leaving his 2-year-old daughter to die in a hot car while he played video games. He took his own life on Wednesday, the day he was due to appear in court for sentencing, authorities said.
Christopher Scholtes, 38, was found dead in his Phoenix-area home early Wednesday morning. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed his death but said the cause remains under investigation pending autopsy results.
Pima County Attorney Laura Conover announced Scholtes’ death at a press conference, calling it an unfortunate conclusion to the case.
Conover said, “This case remains unresolved, but the ongoing work of the Pima County Attorney’s Office ensures it will continue to be addressed appropriately.”
Scholtes had pleaded guilty last month to second-degree murder and intentional child abuse. Prosecutors accused him of knowingly leaving his daughter alone for hours inside a locked car as outside temperatures reached 109 degrees Fahrenheit. Under the plea agreement, he faced 20 to 30 years in prison, with no eligibility for early release.
A Deadly Mistake in Scorching Heat
The sequence of events began on July 9, 2024, when Scholtes returned from running errands with his daughter and parked in the family’s Marana driveway, about 100 miles south of Phoenix. Investigators said Scholtes left his toddler asleep, strapped in her car seat, because he claimed not to want to wake her. He then went inside the house.
The Marana Police Department reported that Scholtes told investigators he left the vehicle running with the air conditioner on before going inside to play video games. Later, prosecutors disclosed that Scholtes was aware of the car’s automatic shutoff system, which would turn off the engine and air conditioning after 30 minutes, meaning the car would not remain cool for long.
Security footage from nearby homes showed that the little girl was alone in the car for about three hours. Scholtes’ wife, Erika, arrived home that afternoon and, unable to find her daughter, discovered her unresponsive in the vehicle. Emergency responders were called, but the 2-year-old was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Court documents stated Scholtes, who was unemployed at the time, told investigators he “forgot” his daughter was in the car. Prosecutors, however, said his distraction stemmed from playing video games and consuming alcohol.
Text Messages Reveal Family’s Warning Signs
Evidence presented in court painted a troubling pattern of neglect. Investigators said Scholtes’ two older daughters told police their father had repeatedly left them alone in cars before.
During the frantic moments after his wife found their daughter, Scholtes received several texts from her. One read: “I told you to stop leaving them in the car. How many times have I told you?”
Scholtes replied: “Babe, I’m sorry! … How could I do this? I killed our baby. This can’t be real.”
The messages presented in court were described by prosecutors as evidence of a repeated pattern of concerning behavior.
A Plea, Then a Death
Scholtes’ plea deal was announced Oct. 22, just days before his trial was to begin. The agreement avoided a potential life sentence or death penalty but ensured decades in prison. Prosecutors said the plea reflected both the “gravity of the crime” and the family’s wish to avoid a prolonged trial.
On the morning of his scheduled sentencing, Scholtes was to be taken into custody immediately after his court appearance, but he never arrived at court.
Online records confirm Scholtes’ death was ruled under investigation by the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office. The office will determine his official cause of death in the coming weeks.
He is survived by his wife and two children.
A Broader Issue: Hot Car Deaths Across the U.S. – Bringing the discussion beyond this specific incident, the following accounts examine the broader context of hot car deaths.
Child safety advocates state the case highlights risks associated with hot car deaths nationwide. According to Kids and Car Safety, at least 30 children have died in overheated vehicles so far this year — most cases are attributed to forgetfulness.
“People may think such events cannot happen to them,” said Amber Rollins, the group’s director, in a statement to USA TODAY. “Often it is a parent who made an error.”
Unlike most cases, Scholtes’ actions were considered intentional under Arizona law, prosecutors said, making it one of the state’s most severe hot-car death prosecutions in recent years.
