An Arizona father is facing 20 to 30 years in prison for the death of his 2-year-old daughter last year. The toddler was left for several hours in a hot car.
In a Facebook post Wednesday, the Pima County Attorney’s Office announced Christopher Scholtes had accepted a plea agreement, pleading guilty to one count of second-degree murder and one count of intentional/knowing child abuse under circumstance likely to cause death or serious physical injury.
On July 9, 2024, Scholtes told Marana police the child had been sleeping in her car seat when he arrived home, so he intentionally left her in the car parked in the driveway with the air conditioner running. But by the time he returned to the car, the engine had shut off and the girl was unresponsive.
The outside temperature at the time of the incident was 109 degrees. Police said the child was in the car for three hours before she was found.
The Pima County Attorney’s Office said Scholtes will be sentenced in Pima County Superior Court on Nov. 21.
“This is yet another reminder to the community that the Pima County Attorney’s Office will do everything we can to get justice for victims and prosecute those who have caused harm to others, especially those who are most vulnerable,” the Pima County Attorney’s Office said.
Forty-six children have died in hot cars in Arizona since 1998, according to data compiled by the Department of Meteorology and Climate Science at San Jose State University on NoHeatStroke.org. Arizona’s per capita rate of child hot car deaths is fifth-highest among states.
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