An Arizona man was released from jail on Friday, days after his 3-year-old daughter reportedly died in a hot car.
Christopher Scholtes, 37, was accused of leaving his daughter in a car parked outside their Marana home on Tuesday. Scholtes claimed he left his daughter in the car with the air conditioning on, but police said surveillance footage contradicts his timeline, according to KOLD.
Scholtes reportedly claimed that his daughter was sleeping in a car seat and he left her in the vehicle because he did not want to wake her.
READ: 2-Year-Old Girl Dies After Dad Leaves Her in Car for 3 Hours on 109-Degree Day
Video allegedly confirmed the toddler was left in the vehicle for three hours, not one as her father claimed. Scholtes’ wife reportedly found their daughter unresponsive in the car and called 911.
Scholtes allegedly also said his phone is pinged when the car overheats or shuts off, but that did not occur on Tuesday. KOLD reported that the vehicle — a 2023 Acura MDX — will turn off after 20 minutes if it is put in park, a door is opened, or the driver’s seatbelt is unbuckled.
The car was reportedly not running when Scholtes’ wife discovered their daughter unresponsive and performed CPR.
Scholtes is charged with second-degree murder and child abuse. Scholtes’ wife, an anesthesiologist, urged the judge to release her husband from custody despite the serious charges he is facing.
“This was a big mistake and I think that this doesn’t represent him,” she said in a courtroom video acquired by KVOA. “And I just want that the girls to see their father so that I don’t have to tell them tonight that they’re going to endure another loss.”
The judge ordered Scholtes’ release on a $25,000 secured bond, as his attorneys noted he is not a flight risk and has no violent criminal history. He is due back in court on August 1.
So far, 10 children have died in hot cars this year, including Scholtes’ daughter. According to No Heat Stroke, 29 children died of vehicular heatstrokes in 2023.
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[Featured image: Instagram]
