Dad of girl who died in hot car now faces first-degree murder charge

A Pima County grand jury has elevated the charge against the father of a 2-year-old girl who died last month inside a hot car to first degree murder.

Christopher Scholtes, 37, was initially arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder in his daughter’s death. A grand jury indictment now says he faces a charge of first-degree murder in the death of his daughter, court records show.

Scholtes is accused of leaving his daughter, Parker, alone in his car outside the family’s Marana home for hours on July 9 when the temperature here reached nearly 110 degrees. Police said the child was inside the vehicle for more than three hours before she was found by her mother when she arrived home from work.

Paramedics recorded Parker’s temperature at 108 degrees when she was first examined, according to an autopsy report. The Pima County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the girl died of heat exposure.

After hearing details about Scholtes’ parenting, an indictment against the father was handed down with charges of first-degree murder child abuse, crimes against children and domestic violence, the indictment shows.

Scholtes “intentionally or knowingly” placed his child in a circumstance that would likely cause death or serious injury, the indictment says.

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“I told you to stop leaving them in the car. How many times have I told you,” Erika Scholtes, a medical doctor, texted her husband as their daughter was being taken to the hospital on July 9, according to an earlier complaint filed in Pima County Justice Court. “We’ve lost her, she was perfect,” she said in a text.

“Babe, our family. How could I do this. I killed our baby, this can’t be real,” Christopher Scholtes responded.

The girl, Parker, died at the hospital that evening.

Scholtes has been out of custody since hours after his July 12 arrest.

During his initial court appearance, his wife can be heard asking that her husband be released so he could go “home and grieve with the family” and called the incident a big mistake, a recording of the hearing shows.

An arraignment for Scholtes is set for Thursday in the Pima County Superior Court.