Father arrested after young Marana girl dies in hot car

TUCSON, Arizona (13 News) – The Marana man accused of leaving his daughter in a hot car and causing her death has been charged with first-degree murder and child abuse.

Marana Police said 37-year-old Christopher Scholtes was taken into custody on Friday, July 12.

Scholtes’ 2-year-old daughter died July 9 when he left her in a vehicle in the driveway of the family’s home in the 5100 block of West Paytons Court, near Cortaro and Interstate 10.

According to police, Scholtes told officers he ran some errands with his daughter and then went home. She was sleeping in her car seat, so he left her in the car while he went inside.

He claimed he left the car with the air conditioning running. When he went back outside, the car was off and his daughter was unconscious. She was taken to a Tucson hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Authorities say Scholtes’ timing does not match a neighbor’s surveillance video.

Scholtes said they arrived home around 2 p.m., but surveillance video shows the vehicle arriving around 12:53 p.m. and not leaving.

At around 4 p.m., Scholtes’ wife came home from work and asked where her daughter was. Scholtes and his wife ran outside to check the vehicle.

They called 911 and brought their daughter into the house. They and emergency responders attempted to resuscitate her, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

The vehicle was identified as a 2023 Acura MDX. According to the owner’s manual, the car will shut off after 20 minutes if the door is opened, the vehicle is in park, and the driver’s seat belt is not fastened.

Authorities seized several items from the home, including the car, Scholtes’ phone, a PlayStation 5 and other electronic devices.

The MPD said the incident highlights the dangers of leaving children unattended in a car. Even on relatively mild days, temperatures inside a car can rise quickly, leading to potentially fatal consequences within minutes.

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