EXCLUSIVE: Dead Arizona Dad Christopher Scholtes and Wife Erika 'Used' Eldest Daughter to 'Steal Money Under False Conservatorship,' According to Explosive Lawsuit
Christopher Scholtes' eldest daughter accused him and his wife Erika of filing a false conservatorship over her for free government benefits.
Nov. 12 2025, Published 5:32 p.m. ET
The Arizona father who was inside playing video games and watching porn as his toddler daughter baked to death trapped in her hot car seat had previously been accused of using his eldest child to falsely score free government benefits and money, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Christopher Scholtes allegedly cashed in on the teen by claiming to be her guardian when he wasn't.
Christopher had a history of abuse allegations, before being arrested and charged for the death of his toddler daughter.
Just days before shockingly committing suicide, Scholtes and his wife, Erika, were sued by his eldest daughter, a 17-year-old from a previous marriage, for allegations of abuse.
In court documents obtained by Radar, the teen claimed her dad also "unlawfully collected government benefits and financial support in Plaintiff’s name under a false conservatorship and for his own personal gain."
The minor had been living with her biological mother, away from Christopher, until her death last year. She was subsequently deemed a ward of the state.
However, according to her complaint, sometime around 2020, Christopher filed and maintained a fake conservatorship, claiming control over her and her finances.
Christopher 'Cashed In' on His Daughter
He killed himself before reporting for prison for the murder of Parker.
When the court ordered the teen returned to the custody of her biological mother, "Defendant Christopher ignored the order and continued to hold himself out as her conservator."
Erika was added to the lawsuit under allegations she "aided, abetted, and/or benefited from the proceeds of the fraudulent scheme."
The scathing complaint summarized: "Defendants’ conduct was intentional, malicious, fraudulent, and beyond all bounds of decency tolerated in a civilized society."
Previous Allegations Against the Couple
Erika was accused of allowing and joining in on the alleged abuse of the teen.
As Radar has reported, Christopher and Erika had previously faced multiple investigations from Arizona's Department of Child Safety on the girl's behalf.
Christopher was 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 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."
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The teen plans to keep her lawsuit now only against Erika active.
The child, who turns 18 next week, has vowed to keep the lawsuit alive and seek justice from Erika, despite Christopher's suicide.
Scholtes took his own life Tuesday night.
He was scheduled to report to prison the following morning, after agreeing to a plea deal for the death of two-year-old Parker, who was trapped in the car as temperatures climbed as high as 109-degrees.
The teen, who has a two-year-old toddler of her own, lived with a guardian away from her dad, after her biological mother died last year.
The guardian, Lindsay Eisenberg, said when she told the girl her father had killed himself, 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.
