An Arizona father accused of leaving his toddler todie in a hot car was playing video gamesand searching for pornography while she died.
Christopher Scholtes, 38, was allegedly watching X-rated videos, playing video games and drinking beer while his youngest daughter, Parker, 2, was left sleeping inside the scorching 2003Acurafor more than three hours on July 9, 2024.
Temperatures inside the car reached 109F (43C), according to the criminal complaint obtained byPeoplemagazine.
Scholtes’ trial is set to begin on Oct. 27 where he faces first-degree murder and intentional child abuse charges.
The prosecution intended to introduce evidence of Scholtes’ alleged porn search in the trial but the request was denied by Judge Kimberly Ortiz.
According to the judge, “The State is precluded from any eliciting testimony in its case in chief regarding the Defendant looking for pornography on the PlayStation before [his daughter’s] body is discovered.”
She added that any witnesses called by prosecutors to testify during the trial are also “precluded from mentioning Defendant’s two-minute search for pornography on the Playstation on July 9, 2024.”
The husband and dad of three initially claimed that after they returned home from shopping at about 12:30 p.m., he didn’t want to wake the napping girl so he left her in the car with the air conditioning running.
But court records later showed he zoned out on video games until his wife, Erika, arrived home at 4 p.m. and found the child unconscious in his car.
The girl was taken to Banner University Medical Center – the hospital where her mother worked as an anesthesiologist – where she was pronounced dead.
RECOMMENDED VIDEO
The distracted dad later reportedly admitted that he knew the vehicle’s engine would automatically shut off after 30 minutes.
Scholtes’ two other daughters told officers their dad sometimes left them alone in the car while he “got distracted by playing his game and putting away his food,” according to police records.
It was later discovered that the distracted dad also left the two-year-old alone in the car while he went to the gas station and grocery store, where surveillance footage allegedly captured him stealing the cans of beer, the criminal complaint read.
Texts sent to Scholtes from his wife showed his alleged pattern of neglect, court documents showed.
“I told you to stop leaving them in the car,” the devastated mother said during the exchange, in which she called their youngest daughter “perfect.”
“How many times have I told you?”
He later replied apologizing and allegedly admitting he “killed our baby.”
Despite the murder charges, Scholtes’ wife has stood by her husband, calling the tragedy a “big mistake.”
Earlier this year, Judge Ortiz ruled that Scholtes couldtravel to Hawaii with his familyahead of his trial.
Prior to that, Scholtes rejected a plea deal and entered a not guilty plea to both charges.
