EXCLUSIVE DETAILS: Arizona Dad's Oldest Daughter, 17, 'Knew He Would Commit Suicide' Before Prison — After He Accepted Plea Deal For Causing Death of Toddler He Left in Boiling Car
Christopher Scholtes' eldest daughter had accused him of abuse several times in the past.
Nov. 7 2025, Published 6:36 p.m. ET
The eldest daughter of an Arizona man who killed himself just before he was due to report to prison for the death of of his 2 year old toddler said she wasn't surprised he "took the easy way out," RadarOnline.com can report.
Christopher Scholtes had agreed to a plea deal accepting the blame for the child's death, after he "forgot" she was baking outdoors in her car seat while he was inside his home getting drunk and surfing for porn.
Scholtes Committed Suicide
Scholtes killed himself before reporting for prison for the death of his daughter, Parker.
Scholtes took his own life Tuesday night. He was scheduled to report to prison the following morning. The 38-year-old also shares 10-year-old and 6-year-old daughters with his current wife and has a 17-year-old daughter from a previous marriage.
The teen, who has a two-year-old toddler of her own, lives with a guardian away from her dad, after her biological mother died last year.
The guardian, Lindsay Eisenberg, said when she told the girl what happened, she was emotionless.
"She said, 'I knew he was going to do this, I knew he was going to commit suicide'. Then she asked if her sisters were OK," Eisenberg told the Daily Mail.
The Teen had Just Sued Her Dad and Stepmother
The teen wasn't surprised he killed himself.
The teen, who was estranged from her dad, had accused Scholtes of abuse multiple times in the past. And just last week, she filed a lawsuit against him and his current wife, Erika, for emotional distress.
She was also seeking damages over her half-sister's death, according to the complaint.
Scholtes was previously investigated nine times on allegations of neglect, as well as physical and emotional abuse against the girl, between June 2014 and December 2020.
Among the allegations were reports that he would slap the child and spank her, leaving bruises on her body.
In one instance, Scholtes allegedly "slapped the child, causing them to lose their breath," and left the child to "manage their diabetes without parental oversight."
Accusations of Emotional and Physcal Abuse
Parker was left strapped in her hot car seat as her father was inside.
Other reports detailed accusations of verbal abuse, including using derogatory names.
A report also claimed Scholtes "yells at the child excessively and tells the child things to break them mentally, such as calling them by foul names and referring to them as 'a mistake.'"
The girl was said to have been experiencing "suicidal ideation due to their father and stepmother treating them differently than the other children in the home and calling the child names."
However, in every one of the cases, the allegations were eventually deemed unsubstantiated, as there was not enough evidence to support them.
Instead, "the child was assessed as safe in Mr. Scholtes' home," and "the family was provided with information on services available in the community and the case was closed."
Scholtes Left His Daughter to Die
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Body cam footage revealed the moment Scholtes was faced with what happened.
As RadarOnline.com has reported, Scholtes left his youngest child in the car after running some errands and returning home.
Prosecutors said the father-of-three cracked open a few beers he shoplifted earlier in the day, played some video games, and searched for porn on his PlayStation – all while his toddler daughter, Parker, was still in her car seat.
He later admitted he was aware that the car engine in his vehicle turns off after 30 minutes, at which point there would be no air conditioning.
Medical examiners said temperatures in the 2003 Acura climbed as high as 109 degrees over the three hours Parker was trapped inside.
