Arizona girl, 2, left in car by father on 109-degree day and is found dead

[browneyes]

I understand mistakes happen, but leaving your child to sleep in the driveway is a poor decision, whether it's hot or not. You don't leave a 2yo in the car to finish a nap while you yourself leave the car. It's not fun to remove a sleeping child from a car seat, but it's also not that onerous.

It seems neglectful to me to not bring the child into the house, regardless of weather or a/c. And in Arizona? In July?

I'm so sad this has happened.

I agree. No way would I leave a child sleeping in a running car while I head inside. It’s just not a good decision.

 

[browneyes]

So both parents had a habit of leaving their daughter in a running car while she slept. Sorry but that’s all kind of wrong IMO no matter how they try to justify it.

Heck, when I opened the link there was a big red banner at the top announcing an extreme heat warning. And this guy thought it was okay to leave his daughter alone in the car in the driveway? No.

I have a feeling the police are piecing together the afternoon. According to the timeline dad told the officer he arrived home at 2:45 but cameras verified it was actually 12:53. Why did he lie? To cover his behind even though he claimed it was their usual routine? Ugh.

Among other items, LE seized:
A PS5 gaming system
A remote control
A gaming headset
A drink left on the coffee table
A laptop
An iPad tablet.

Father of Marana girl who died in hot car faces murder, child abuse charges

The girl's father was arrested and jailed on suspicion of second-degree murder and child abuse, Marana police say.

tucson.com

I have to wonder if the mom is even fit to raise the kids since “they” routinely left their kids alone in running cars.

 

[Countem]

I’ve been pondering the less than an hour/3 hours time discrepancy. I do wonder if he told his wife the “less than an hour” lie during the initial panic to minimize his negligence to her (i.e., if I told her that I was on the PS5 for three hours while she was in the car, she would become enraged rather than simply panicked) not even considering this would involve a police investigation. Of course, when the police got there, he would be “stuck” in the lie. MOO.

 

[iamshadow21]

I have to wonder if the mom is even fit to raise the kids since “they” routinely left their kids alone in running cars.

We have his word for that, but I don't know how much it's worth.

If they both left their children equally long times in the car, fair enough, they're both negligent.

But if he's comparing what he did to her doing something like leaving the car running while she ran inside to grab her purse or a school permission form, two minutes tops, those are not in any way, shape or form the same thing.

MOO

 

[Allabouttrial]

Another thing to consider (in terms of their stupidity) if they were relying solely on their vehicle's technology/ability to alert (their phone?) that the car had powered off or was too hot, what technology (if any) did they rely on to alert them that their toddler was awake, crying, hungry, thirsty, lonely or bored while in the vehicle alone and how would they know the length of time that was going on prior to their going to the car to retrieve her usually? Guess they just figured it didn't matter how long she cried or screamed before they would decide to check on her?

Snipped by me.

Right??!!! this is the thing that takes it to the next level for me. Even if my grandchild is asleep in his pram after a walk, I'll park him in the hallway and even though I can hear if he wakes I still go and check on him regularly.

 

[Allabouttrial]

If it's true that both mum and dad would leave her in the car when she fell asleep it could maybe account for the 10-15 delay in ringing 911. In many of the articles it states mum arrived home at 4 pm. and I have wondered why it took so long to ring 911. As mum is an MD herself she must have realised this was a dire emergency so I'm puzzled as to why they left it so long to call for extra help. Now I'm wondering if they were hoping to revive her themselves in order to prevent any awkward questions, hence the charge of murder.

 

[iamshadow21]

If it's true that both mum and dad would leave her in the car when she fell asleep it could maybe account for the 10-15 delay in ringing 911. In many of the articles it states mum arrived home at 4 pm. and I have wondered why it took so long to ring 911. As mum is an MD herself she must have realised this was a dire emergency so I'm puzzled as to why they left it so long to call for extra help. Now I'm wondering if they were hoping to revive her themselves in order to prevent any awkward questions, hence the charge of murder.

She may have not looked in the car when she arrived home, especially if it was not running. She may not have realised her child was missing until she looked in her child's bedroom, expecting her to be down for a nap, and seen the bed was empty.

MOO

 

[clorenc]

I’ve been pondering the less than an hour/3 hours time discrepancy. I do wonder if he told his wife the “less than an hour” lie during the initial panic to minimize his negligence to her (i.e., if I told her that I was on the PS5 for three hours while she was in the car, she would become enraged rather than simply panicked) not even considering this would involve a police investigation. Of course, when the police got there, he would be “stuck” in the lie. MOO.

Or maybe he didn’t imagine that so much time had passed by because he hadn’t received the 20-minute car alert yet? Lost track of time while playing video games or whatever, and made a frantic guess?

 

[Boots38]

I have to wonder if the mom is even fit to raise the kids since “they” routinely left their kids alone in running cars.

She's a victim here that just lost her 2 year old and her husband is now in jail for causing the baby's death, just because he said they do it doesn't mean it's true. Why would you want her to lose her other kids for his actions?

 

[airportwoman]

She's a victim here that just lost her 2 year old and her husband is now in jail for causing the baby's death, just because he said they do it doesn't mean it's true. Why would you want her to lose her other kids for his actions?

We'll have to let the authorities do their investigation.

 

[Allabouttrial]

From recent video:

---

Detectives are checking the girl's own iPad, they think it's GPS can help establish how long she was left in the car, what she was doing while in the car and if she was on her tablet or asleep.

---

Dad's name is Christopher Scholtes

 

[Inthedetails]

Or maybe he didn’t imagine that so much time had passed by because he hadn’t received the 20-minute car alert yet? Lost track of time while playing video games or whatever, and made a frantic guess?

He knew how much time had passed but couldn't find the strength to say it aloud, imo. Saying something painful aloud is very hard, I get that. Once you say the words, it's real.

I can understand him skirting around the timeline at first. Imagine having to say the truth to his wife, the mother of a little child he let die, imo.

I DO NOT EXCUSE him, but understand the human instinct to protect himself from the crushing guilty feeling. THIS IS NOT AN EXCUSE as I think his decision to leave the child in the car unattended was a crime.

jmo

 

[Allabouttrial]

BOND HEARING FOR CHRISTOPHER SHOLTES

12TH JULY

STATE - As this court knows and, we've discussed this with previous hearings, the state's recommendation of high bonds with murder cases without criminal history and while the court definitely may consider the lack of criminal history as well as the abuse of the victim, which I understand are in the pre-trial services report, the nature of the offense is also considered as well.

Of most concern to the state in the interim complaint is the lack of true telling by the defendant when interviewed by the police, that was quickly contradicted by police as well as his awareness not only the timing that the car would shut off, but the text messages between him and his wife indicating that there was an awareness that this was an issue long before this happened. So, given the nature of the offense, the state is requesting the million dollar bond.

MOTHER - I would like to be heard please, and your honor, is it ok if I don't show myself?

JUDGE - That's fine.

MOTHER - So, thank you for allowing me to speak. I just wanted to say that no-one understands how great of a tragedy this is, more than myself, my girls, my remaining two daughters, and Christopher. So, not only do we have to move forward with grieving for my daughter but we potentially could be losing their father. So the absolute worst case scenario for our family is if Chris were to be away from us. We're already hurting, no-one else shares this bond and this trauma like all of us, all four of us. I know the significance of the tragedy and I don't want you to think for a second that I underestimate the impact that it has on our lives, on everyone's lives, or that I'm undermining your concerns about the safety of those in our household. So, I'm just asking if you can allow him to come home to us so we can all start the grieving process so that he can bury our daughter with us, this upcoming week, and that we can go through this whole process together as a family and so, I understand that there is concern for flight risk, I just don't see that as a thing. We live in this home that all of our girls were brought home in. If anything, Chris wants to stay here, he's always been cooperative through this entire process and we'll ensure that we have continued cooperation and if there's anything additional that is needed from the courts to ensure our safety, I'm happy to help with those certainties that are needed.

He's an amazing father, he's a pillar of our community, he's been a coach for young kids. He's taken them to school every day, he's been the main caregiver; I work many hours so they're all that he sees. This was a big mistake and I think that this doesn't represent him and I just want the girls to see their father so that I don't have to tell them tonight that they're going to endure another loss. And that's all I have to say your honor.

Judge releases him to pre-trial services and doesn't believe a money bond is appropriate at this time.

 

[SouthAussie]

Judge releases him to pre-trial services and doesn't believe a money bond is appropriate at this time.

Had to look that one up ... pretrial services. Sounds as if the conditions of his release have been looked at, and a recommendation has been made to the judge.


After an alleged criminal offender has had an initial appearance in the court, the defendant will go through pretrial services to assist judicial officers in determining their release decisions and conditions.

Common examples of a defendant’s release decisions are:

• Being released on their own recognizance.
• Being released with bond.
• Being held without bond.
• Undergoing pretrial with conditions.
• Undergoing pretrial with electronic monitoring.

Common conditions of release may require a defendant to:

• Remain law-abiding.
• Not leave Arizona borders without court approval.
• Appear at all court proceedings.
• Participate in treatment or assistance programs.
• Submit to drug or alcohol testing.
• Not possess firearms or other deadly items.
• Undergo ankle monitoring or submit to curfews.

What are Arizona’s Pretrial Services? - Rideout Law Group

After the initial appearance, defendants will go through pretrial services to assist judicial officers in determining their release decisions and conditions.

www.rideoutlaw.com

 

[Artis]

I understand mistakes happen, but leaving your child to sleep in the driveway is a poor decision, whether it's hot or not. You don't leave a 2yo in the car to finish a nap while you yourself leave the car. It's not fun to remove a sleeping child from a car seat, but it's also not that onerous.

It seems neglectful to me to not bring the child into the house, regardless of weather or a/c. And in Arizona? In July?

I'm so sad this has happened.

I cannot believe anyone with two brain cells to rub together would ever leave a child in a car, unattended. Aside from her dying in the heat - inexcusable - anyone could come along and steal the car or kidnap the child. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, knows that it's dangerous to leave a helpless child or animal in a car, in the summer. It seems like, at least, once week we hear about a child dying in a hot car. I find this bizarre beyond belief that he would do that.

 

[MsMarple]

BOND HEARING FOR CHRISTOPHER SHOLTES

12TH JULY

STATE - As this court knows and, we've discussed this with previous hearings, the state's recommendation of high bonds with murder cases without criminal history and while the court definitely may consider the lack of criminal history as well as the abuse of the victim, which I understand are in the pre-trial services report, the nature of the offense is also considered as well.

Of most concern to the state in the interim complaint is the lack of true telling by the defendant when interviewed by the police, that was quickly contradicted by police as well as his awareness not only the timing that the car would shut off, but the text messages between him and his wife indicating that there was an awareness that this was an issue long before this happened. So, given the nature of the offense, the state is requesting the million dollar bond.

MOTHER - I would like to be heard please, and your honor, is it ok if I don't show myself?

JUDGE - That's fine.

MOTHER - So, thank you for allowing me to speak. I just wanted to say that no-one understands how great of a tragedy this is, more than myself, my girls, my remaining two daughters, and Christopher. So, not only do we have to move forward with grieving for my daughter but we potentially could be losing their father. So the absolute worst case scenario for our family is if Chris were to be away from us. We're already hurting, no-one else shares this bond and this trauma like all of us, all four of us. I know the significance of the tragedy and I don't want you to think for a second that I underestimate the impact that it has on our lives, on everyone's lives, or that I'm undermining your concerns about the safety of those in our household. So, I'm just asking if you can allow him to come home to us so we can all start the grieving process so that he can bury our daughter with us, this upcoming week, and that we can go through this whole process together as a family and so, I understand that there is concern for flight risk, I just don't see that as a thing. We live in this home that all of our girls were brought home in. If anything, Chris wants to stay here, he's always been cooperative through this entire process and we'll ensure that we have continued cooperation and if there's anything additional that is needed from the courts to ensure our safety, I'm happy to help with those certainties that are needed.

He's an amazing father, he's a pillar of our community, he's been a coach for young kids. He's taken them to school every day, he's been the main caregiver; I work many hours so they're all that he sees. This was a big mistake and I think that this doesn't represent him and I just want the girls to see their father so that I don't have to tell them tonight that they're going to endure another loss. And that's all I have to say your honor.

Judge releases him to pre-trial services and doesn't believe a money bond is appropriate at this time.

Thank you for finding and transcribing the hearing!

So text messages between the parents indicated that:

Of most concern to the state in the interim complaint is the lack of true telling by the defendant when interviewed by the police, that was quickly contradicted by police as well as his awareness not only the timing that the car would shut off, but the text messages between him and his wife indicating that there was an awareness that this was an issue long before this happened.

It sounds like it was just a matter of time before a tragedy happened. A preventable tragedy. I can’t begin to imagine how this family will get through this.

 

[Artis]

I think his claim that he left the AC on suggests it was somewhat intentional . . . or at least that’s his story.

I've only read one article about it (Daily Mail) and that said he didn't want to wake her so left the car running with her in it. WTAF? Had she not died as she did, she could also have been abducted. What kind of parent does this?

 

[Allabouttrial]

Thank you for finding and transcribing the hearing!

So text messages between the parents indicated that:

Of most concern to the state in the interim complaint is the lack of true telling by the defendant when interviewed by the police, that was quickly contradicted by police as well as his awareness not only the timing that the car would shut off, but the text messages between him and his wife indicating that there was an awareness that this was an issue long before this happened.

It sounds like it was just a matter of time before a tragedy happened. A preventable tragedy. I can’t begin to imagine how this family will get through this.

The part you've highlighted, I suspect, is the reason for the charge of 2nd degree murder.

 

[SouthAussie]

BOND HEARING FOR CHRISTOPHER SHOLTES

Just listened to the hearing. His release conditions are no consumption of alcohol or illegal drugs, cannot possess any firearms, must submit to any monitoring and supervision required by pretrial services, not allowed any unsupervised contact with minors, he is not to be alone with children, children cannot be alone in his care while this case is pending.
The judge made sure his wife was listening and aware of the condition about children.

(starts at around 50:07 in the video)

The judge also noted in the video that if this had happened in 10 days time, he would have had mandatory confinement (jail) as the pretrial laws are changing in 10 days.

 

[Artis]

Affidavit reveals new details after child's death in hot car in Marana

TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) — On July 9, police responded to a neighborhood in Marana following reports of a child left unattended in a vehicle.

www.kvoa.com

This is new to me. Says they left her in car regularly and would receive alerts saying it got too hot or turned off. I guess this will be tested too.

I have never heard of anything like this, regularly (!!!) leaving a kid in the car. Really shocking.