Arizona Dad Who Left Toddler, 2, to Die In Hot Car Pleads Guilty — Days After Court Docs Claimed He 'Was Distracted by Porn and Drinking Beers' During Horrific Tragedy
An Arizona father has changed his plea to charges he left his toddler trapped in a hot car to die.
Oct. 23 2025, Published 11:25 a.m. ET
An Arizona father who was "distracted" by video games and online porn while his 2-year-old daughter was still inside his hot car has agreed to plead guilty to her death, RadarOnline.com can report.
Christopher Scholtes pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder and one count of intentional or knowing child abuse under circumstances likely to cause death or serious physical injury, after the 2024 death of his daughter, who spent more than three hours trapped in his car outside.
Christopher Schultes has now pleaded guilty charges of second-degree murder.
Scholtes, who initially pleaded not guilty, was set for trial next week. He was facing first-degree murder for the tragic death of his young child, Parker, after he left her to nap in her car seat in sweltering 90-degree heat in July 2024.
By changing his plea, Scholtes now faces consecutive sentences that could put him behind bars for the next 20-30 years. He will also be allowed to remain out of custody until Nov. 5, when the court will determine if and when he will be taken to jail.
A judge will sentence him on Nov. 21.
'Distracted' Dad
Scholtes said he was 'distracted' by video games and porn, and forgot about the girl.
As Radar has reported, the father of three left his youngest child in the car after running some errands and returning home.
Prosecutors said the 38-year-old cracked open a few beers he shoplifted earlier in the day, played some video games, and searched for porn on his PlayStation – all while the toddler was still in the car.
Scholtes said he left the car running and the air conditioning on, but after an extended period of time, the vehicle shut off.
Medical examiners said temperatures in the 2003 Acura climbed as high as 109 degrees over the three hours Parker was trapped inside.
Troubling Pattern of Behavior
He had been accused of neglecting and abusing his other children as well.
This wasn't the first time his parenting has been questioned. According to a criminal complaint, investigators also alleged that the two surviving daughters, who were 6 and 9 at the time, said in interviews that their father had previously left them alone in the car on other occasions.
His 16-year-old daughter from a previous marriage also claimed he frequently left her alone inside cars without food for hours at a time, even to the point where Child Protective Services took her away from him.
In a text message after Parker's incident, his wife, Erika Scholtes, allegedly wrote: "I told you to stop leaving them in the car. How many times have I told you?"
Previous Investigations
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Scholtes' wife had scolded him in the past for leaving their kids in the car.
Scholtes was previously investigated nine times on allegations of neglect, as well as physical and emotional abuse, 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."
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."
