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

[LifeIsAMystery]

Not on the surface, but if he lied about his credentials and job experience, that's a big deal.

Was there a link to him doing so? This thread is moving so fast, sorry if I overlooked it.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

Sadly, it’s too late now, but it really would have been better to hire a good child care provider and just let him be a stay at home dad for things like driving, housework, shopping, etc., or just being there as a supportive parent in the background.

Also if the mom had had a camera on the garage and driveway so she could check remotely if he was sticking to her directive to not leave them in the car.

It’s just so sad that the 2 girls now have a dead sister, a father headed to trial and incarceration, a grieving mother, and all the travel and fun spoiled. This case has really hit hard for me.

Much as I hate to say it, with her money for lawyers and effective pleas for him, I am not convinced he WILL serve time. Often in these cases, parents do not.

 

[NuttMegg]

SBM
I fear his anger at the kids for ratting him out to cops as gaming. I fear neither parent is guaranteed to follow the order re: him not being alone with kids. The whole situation seems so tense and unstable, I fear what may happen next. The father dominates the dynamic and the mother focuses on him not the welfare of the kids in an effective way. I imagine those kids feel deeply unsafe. The dynamics have not changed but intensified in this scenario, IMHO.

So the hearing will be in August?

Anyway, the mother's presentation in court...it was a big mistake... not who he is. Now they will have the funeral (tomorrow?). One concern will be that the girls' account will be polished and molded, because of the way his actions were presented...distracted, often left in car, etc.

Those kids should be in therapy, not with both parents for a month, to have it spun how it was just a mistake. Imo

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

Iirc the trial will be in August? Where did I read that. Maybe he will plead.

Anyway, the mother's presentation in court...it was a big mistake... not who he is. Now they will have the funeral (tomorrow?). One concern will be that the girls' account will be polished and molded, because of the way his actions were presented...distracted, often left in car, etc.

Those kids should be in therapy, not with both parents for a month, to have it spun how it was just a mistake. Imo

It's just a hearing, not a trial.

Agree re: the pressure that may be placed on those young, grieving kids. Smh.

 

[NuttMegg]

It's just a hearing, not a trial.

Agree re: the pressure that may be placed on those young, grieving kids. Smh.

Thanks, I had time to edit out the trial part.

 

[SMK777]

I hear what you’re saying, but, my God, if you have to have a nanny cam to make sure a stay-at-home dad isn’t doing something that would cause complete strangers to call 911…it just seems like he might as well not be staying at home? Idk. It’s just a low, low bar.

I mean. Paired with all the oblique references to him staying at home so that his wages won’t be garnished? I feel like that in itself would be such a red flag in someone I were casually seeing, how did his wife think that was marriage and family material? Never mind it getting to the point where she is probably bringing home a third of a million a year, and the idea of opening up his wallet is still that offensive???

Yeah, I do see your point, definitely.

 

[SMK777]

Much as I hate to say it, with her money for lawyers and effective pleas for him, I am not convinced he WILL serve time. Often in these cases, parents do not.

True. It does seem that he will likely be charged with some form of negligence at least, but I have no idea how that translates into jail time. But yes, she will have the money for attorneys, for sure.
ETA: Or was he already charged with 2nd degree homicide? Oh, just read that charges of 2nd degree murder and child abuse may be formally announced at the Aug 1 preliminary hearing.

'I killed our baby': Arizona dad distracted by video games leaves daughter in hot car: Docs

Christopher Scholtes was putting groceries away and playing video games after leaving the toddler in the car for hours amid triple-digit temperatures, records show.

www.usatoday.com

 

[NuttMegg]

Could CS plead out at the pre-trial hearing, once learning the charges?

 

[abyquinn]

Could CS plead out at the pre-trial hearing, once learning the charges?

Only if the state offers him a deal. As angry as everyone is about this and the 4 mo old on the boat (still no charges to my knowledge). I’ll be surprised if they offer him much. Maybe 25 yrs w parole vs 25 to Life w/o parole.

He knows the charges currently, Murder 2 & child abuse/domestic violence resulting in death IIRC He pleaded not guilty on 7/12.

 

[Arkay]

It sounds like he forgot the child, the child died, and he made up the story of having the ac on. investigators will find out.

It could be, but I don’t think he forgot that baby. He absolutely, conscientiously, neglected her.

To me it seems that he used his car, engine and AC running, as some sort of horrific playpen. A nine-year old could easily get out of the car, but I assume was warned by the dad not to, or conversely was so accustomed to it that she didn’t think anything of it by that point.

To entrap his toddler in that vehicle in that blazing heat is negligent homicide, IMO.

He wasn’t really a stay-at-home “father.” He was a stay-at-home wastrel whose three children were a burden on his gaming and other recreation.

We know from the mother’s text and the older children’s stories that this was an ongoing practice of his.

My wish is prison for him, the mother to file for divorce, and to then hire someone responsible to get her kids home from school and supervise the toddler.

JMO

 

[mickey2942]

Much as I hate to say it, with her money for lawyers and effective pleas for him, I am not convinced he WILL serve time. Often in these cases, parents do not.

I agree. He may not even be charged. Depending on his wife. I believe that if she sticks by him, this will be dropped. That seems to be the deciding factor, the support of the other parent. Looks like August 1, 2024 is the hearing date.

Arizona dad of 2-year-old who died in hot car was distracted by video game, often left kids in car

Christopher Scholtes’ two other children said he “left all three children alone in vehicle regularly” and “got distracted by playing his game” when their sister was in the car.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I was married back when, no way either of us would dare to use that tone

If someone neglected one of the children multiple times in the same way and it led to a death?

The mother is also a victim, yet anything she says, does, or how she says it, is being scrutinized. She had, minutes before that text, been doing CPR on her lifeless tiny child.