An Arizona father, Christopher Scholtes, 37, could be facing a plea deal in connection with the tragic death of his two-year-old daughter, who was left in a hot car while he got distracted inside his home playing video games. The plea deal is being worked on by the defense and prosecutors, as reported by FOX 10 Phoenix. Scholtes initially claimed that after running errands with his daughter on July 9, 2024, he left her in the car because she was asleep, with the vehicle running and the air conditioning on. However, his wife later found their daughter unconscious upon her return home, and the child ultimately passed away at the hospital from heat-related injuries.
According to court documents cited by AZ Family, Scholtes was aware his vehicle had a feature that would turn off the engine after 30 minutes, a detail that clashes with his statement that he left the car running intentionally; in addition, home surveillance video from neighbors contradicts his timeline of events, showing his vehicle arriving home at around 12:53 p.m., with no subsequent departures, while Scholtes mentioned they got home around 2 p.m. His two other children, aged five and nine, reportedly told authorities that being left in the car was not unusual and that their father had been distracted by his game and putting away food at the time of the incident.
Investigators, who confiscated a PlayStation along with several other electronics and took possession of Scholtes' 2023 Acura MDX, have built a case highlighting discrepancies between Scholtes' account and the evidence. Scholtes, who is currently facing charges of first-degree murder and child abuse, appeared in court on Wednesday. He has a 10-day jury trial scheduled for September 2025, while discussions of a plea deal are ongoing.
While the local community grapples with the distressing nature of this case, the plea deal discussions may result in a change of the anticipated jury trial set for next year; Scholtes' next appearance in court is scheduled for January 27, 2025.
