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

[Bounceycat]

I’m not positive there were others there when the oldest was removed. I think ES may have been pregnant with her oldest/CS’s second, possibly early enough along that CPS wouldn’t have been aware. I can see how it could have slipped past them in sort of a Swiss cheese scenario.

I don't think the math works out though. Oldest daughter is 16. Next oldest (first child with ES) is 9. So #1 was approx 7 when the second child arrived. She said in the interview she began to be left in the car at age 6/7. She wasn't removed until she was older and self harming.

 

[Bounceycat]

I can only imagine that things were getting worse and more stressful by the day in their house, especially over the last few months. His drinking is out of hand, he's hiding it and shoplifting, acting criminally and recklessly with kids in the car (how does one get up to 138MPH in a small SUV on a public road??), trying to manipulate with things like "You hate me," addiction or at least escapism in video games while he's supposed to be the primary caregiver, <modsnip> JMO and once again, I grieve for the children caught up in all this.

 

[MsMarple]

I strongly disagree.

The wife's knowledge of her husband's alcoholism and the associated dangers he posed to their children cannot be overlooked. While there are clearly emotional and dysfunctional ties between them, her decision to remain in such a situation knowing the risks directly endangered their children's safety.

In fact, It's essential to hold BOTH of them accountable. Texts prove that she was keenly aware of his harmful behaviors and failed to act to protect their children.

In short: When you know better, you do better. When you know more, you do more.

SHE KNEW. SHE DID NOTHING ABOUT IT.
She is complicit, IMO.

100%! Only one person stood between the children’s safety and a serial abuser and that was the mother. Being the breadwinner and working long hours (if that was the case) doesn’t excuse choosing to allow the abuse to continue. Her child died and no amount of texting can change that.

According to the mother he drove drunk with the kids in the car! 138 mph! Take the damn car away, put him in rehab, hire a responsible caregiver, anything except turning a blind eye to his behavior.

I sure as heck don’t want this buffoon on any street I’m driving. He’s a menace to me and my loved ones. Neither parent gets a “Well they’ve suffered enough” excuse from me. Put him in jail and require her to attend parenting classes. All MOO.

ETA link:

On March 11 in one message Erika writes:

“You haven’t shown you can stop putting the girls in danger or treating me badly. Even yesterday you drove home drunk with two minors. You drink to excess every time. I have been asking for three years for you to cut back but it's actually gotten worse.”

On March 21st she wrote: “Why were you going 138 with our baby in the car with alcohol in your system?

New information released on death of two-year-old Marana girl left in hot car

TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) — New information on the death of a two-year-old Marana girl left in a hot car.

www.kvoa.com

 

[Tortoise]

I would draw a parallel here between this wife and the Crumbley parents who were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter. In this case the danger was her husband, not a gun. Drink driving, speeding, leaving children in a hot car, alcoholism, and non-supervision, with his apparent addiction to gaming. She was sober and well aware of the risk he posed to her children's lives.

MOO

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

Perhaps a report to CPS?

However this is a potential powder keg and needs to be handled with kid gloves, my opinion only. Not sure CPS has the ability to do that?

I strongly disagree.

The wife's knowledge of her husband's alcoholism and the associated dangers he posed to their children cannot be overlooked. While there are clearly emotional and dysfunctional ties between them, her decision to remain in such a situation knowing the risks directly endangered their children's safety.

In fact, It's essential to hold BOTH of them accountable. Texts prove that she was keenly aware of his harmful behaviors and failed to act to protect their children.

In short: When you know better, you do better. When you know more, you do more.

SHE KNEW. SHE DID NOTHING ABOUT IT.
She is complicit, IMO.

And him being back in the home, where the little girls cannot feel safe, physically or emotionally, is due to her. Otherwise he'd be in jail. She could tell him to leave. Instead she stopped working herself (how is that sustainable?!) and BOTH have pressured young grieving kids to lie to LE about the murder of their baby sister. It cannot be lost on the girls that they are NOT SAFE NOW. She's more than complicit, she got him released to the home and she has also witness tampered instead of protecting the remaining very young kids. JMOOO.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

This is so horrible. One hopes that maybe, just maybe, seizures happened at a lower temperature and she didn't feel, essentially, burning.

I can understand how forgotten baby syndrome happens (not this case, but in general), but I can also understand the parents who commit suicide after that.

I don't know what mother is thinking about. Maybe it is shock. She saw it all... I think she may be shutting down to cope.

About this father, I think too many things but really, something is simply missing there.

The kids told LE that BOTH parents pressured them to lie. She is failing to protect these kids too or support them in their grief. He could be in jail going to AA meetings and there could be safety in the home, but, nope. It is like she is addicted to his presence and the risk he brings. The "worst thing" would be him not there is what she said. Seems like a break from the danger he poses is exactly what the kids need.

I don't see how the very young girls can heal never mind be safe mired in such profound dysfunction. How might they be retaliated against for telling, again, and the charges being increased? I shudder to think. Horrific case. JMOOO. Other families will avoid, leaving the little girls more isolated in the sick environment. Makes me so sad to think of them and how brave and loving THEY have been. I hope THEY don't feel responsible for Parker's death.

She had no financial dependence on him and knew AZ had removed a child from his care. Yet she kept providing him with victims and now that he has KILLED, pleaded and paid and got him PUT BACK in the home so they could jointly witness tamper. Can you imagine the FEAR those kids are experiencing when their safety and support in their grief should be the priority of any decent adult?

AZ is complicit. She is FAR more than that, IMHO. I have heard of women who lose their kids because they will not abandon their primary allegiance to a dangerous man. I hope these girls are not physically harmed while this plays out. RIP little Parker, you and all you sisters deserved and deserve SAFETY. JMOOO.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

To give another perspective, perhaps the judge should have said, No, I am not going to allow him to go home and possibly be alone with the other children or possibly "tamper" with their future testimony.

If deemed acceptable, he could have been allowed to attend the funeral virtually, so he could witness that. But he could have been kept locked-up, or alternatively allowed bail but required to live elsewhere and not allowed contact with any minors. And not allowed to drive a motor vehicle.

The judge made the final decision allowing him to go home. (Though information about his history, etc. may not have been available to aid her decision (?))

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

Had the doctor not pleaded for his release, had she OPPOSED him being in the home, far less likely, IMHO. I would be surprised if they could not access the information about another child being removed from the home, that was also in AZ as were his other cases, for DUI, the sealed criminal case, etc. Yes, the judge signed the order but the MOTHER'S actions and her paying for a good lawyer, played a huge role in setting up a situation that hopefully will not lead to further tragedy.

She could have asked for a PROTECTIVE ORDER, for example. But, she will never shift her priority from this loser man, probably some repetition trauma thing that isn't even about him, but her past. If the foreseeable murder of a toddler did not do it, or driving drunk with tot at 138, she is ALL IN for life. It's like a cult of dysfunction, I pray the other girls escape with their lives, somewhat mentally and morally intact. They have each other for support, sad but important. JMOOO.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

To give another perspective, perhaps the judge should have said, No, I am not going to allow him to go home and possibly be alone with the other children or possibly "tamper" with their future testimony.

If deemed acceptable, he could have been allowed to attend the funeral virtually, so he could witness that. But he could have been kept locked-up, or alternatively allowed bail but required to live elsewhere and not allowed contact with any minors. And not allowed to drive a motor vehicle.

The judge made the final decision allowing him to go home. (Though information about his history, etc. may not have been available to aid her decision (?))

Agree, so many other options. I think the "worst thing" speech carried the day. To me, the WORST THING was to repeatedly risk the life of a toddler until she died a horrific death, the mom really showed her twisted thought patterns there, esp. when she couched what SHE wanted as being best for the KIDS.

The kids are not safe from either parent, both have pressured them to LIE re: their baby sister's death. Imagine what fear they must have, on many levels, in that house. I pray he is removed, or they are, before this gets even worse. JMOOO.

 

[tlcya]

OMG it is so much worse even than we suspected! Sorry been AFK all weekend and just catching up. posting as I do and then off to backread what I've missed.

The documents also show more text conversations between Erika and Chris. On March 11 in one message Erika writes:

“You haven’t shown you can stop putting the girls in danger or treating me badly. Even yesterday you drove home drunk with two minors. You drink to excess every time. I have been asking for three years for you to cut back but it's actually gotten worse.”

On March 21st she wrote: “Why were you going 138 with our baby in the car with alcohol in your system?

Chris responded: “You hate me. She was sleeping it’s fine.”

Investigators were able to obtain surveillance video from July 9th, the day the Scholtes’ daughter died. They determined he was at a local grocery store prior without his children with him likely left in the car, before returning to the home he stopped at a gas station, walked inside, and was seen on video entering the restroom with a case of beer, he walked out beer in hand never purchasing the items.

It’s unknown if he was intoxicated when he returned home.
New information released on death of two-year-old Marana girl left in hot car

this guy is nothing more than a sloppy, irresponsible drunk, which his wife knew, and still left in charge of their children every single day to go support the household. It makes her statements to the judge infuriating to me. Talk about classic enabling WTH?

 

[IDK]

I wonder if his wife is having seconds thoughts about pleading for his release in light of the new evidence related to stealing and drinking beer early in the day. I hope this is a huge eye opener for her and she will act accordingly. But I think she’s stuck with him now until the arraignment. My opinion only!

 

[Charlot123]

What does that mean? They look normal to me.

If you manually blow up the picture and look, their smiles and especially eyes look unnaturally- reminds me of an old silent movie with Lilian Gish where she had to stretch the corners of her face to feign a smile

 

[tlcya]

What does that mean? They look normal to me.

the children's smiles all look very forced but that could just be them being kids and not knowing how to smile naturally on command for a photo.

 

[scapa]

I agree. He may be an unemployed, murderous drunk, but her addiction seems to be to him. She is messed up.

He could be a family annihilator, he fits the profile.

SHE also told the young kids to LIE to LE about the killing of their baby sister.

They must be terrified about own safety on some primal level. Not mom thought, she can't kick the co-dependence and the endless, pointless back and forths with this loser.

He has had 1 child removed from his home by the state and has killed another child. And this is HER take on the situation? Good Lord! She is probably repeating some generational trauma pattern/betrayal bond trauma but ENOUGH already.

AZ is equally complicit leaving the kids and him in the same home and upping the pressure with a higher charge. The entire situation is beyond sickening and I pray for the safety of the girls and the well being of the eldest and her baby.

This.

How often do we see someone charged with 1st degree murder bailed out and free to stay in the very home and family within which he's alleged to have murdered in the 1st, whilst able to put pressure on those children whose testimony may be pivotal in convicting him?

This situation makes no sense to me, and I'm with those who fear a Josh Powell-type situation here. CS is fast becoming someone with nothing to lose and a whole lot of anger at those who he may well feel helped put him there (entirely unjustly, of course).

Astonishing -- in the worst possible way.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

I wonder if his wife is having seconds thoughts about pleading for his release in light of the new evidence related to stealing and drinking beer early in the day. I hope this is a huge eye opener for her and she will act accordingly. But I think she’s stuck with him now until the arraignment. My opinion only!

She also has pressured the kids to lie to LE, so no signs of her changing her fixation on him to their detriment pattern. That he has not been removed from home by AZ, or the kids removed from his control after the 1st degree indictment, is another sad example of how kids are not protected, either by danger dad, co-dependent or ??? mom or the STATE, who have now ratcheted up the pressure on him tremendously, based in part on the kids' witness testimony. Imagine the tension in that house. Doubt the neighbors are inviting them over for cook outs. They even told LE that they were told to lie, further endangering themselves. Shame that their wellbeing and literal fundamental safety doesn't seem to matter to anyone in a position to ensure it. Hope the tragedy does not escalate. JMOOO.

 

[Panniniclaus]

I wonder if his wife is having seconds thoughts about pleading for his release in light of the new evidence related to stealing and drinking beer early in the day. I hope this is a huge eye opener for her and she will act accordingly. But I think she’s stuck with him now until the arraignment. My opinion only!

I am willing to bet she only knew the half of it.. Everyone willing to burn her at the stake here. I don't know how she got connected to this douche bag. I assume he's a chameleon.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

This.

How often do we see someone charged with 1st degree murder bailed out and free to stay in the very home and family within which he's alleged to have murdered in the 1st, whilst able to put pressure on those children whose testimony may be pivotal in convicting him?

This situation makes no sense to me, and I'm with those who fear a Josh Powell-type situation here. CS is fast becoming someone with nothing to lose and a whole lot of anger at those who he may well feel helped put him there (entirely unjustly, of course).

Astonishing -- in the worst possible way.

And after the state of AZ already previously removed a child from that very home.

<modsnip - it is a violation of TOS to urge other members to insert themselves into a case>

Even just to CYA authorities should step in to safeguard the kids. Now they have even told LE that BOTH parents told them to lie. These are grieving young kids whose very lives could be in danger, with AZ turning up the pressure, heedless of their safety. Shame the older sister is still a minor herself, they really need to be somewhere safe and away from mom who acts like loser killer dad is Jim Jones. Who knows what her reaction will be if he IS locked up before further tragedy?

After all, she claimed her not having access to him would be the WORST THING, not the death of Parker. So how might SHE retaliate in big and small ways, having known they defied her and "told" again, and charges were escalated? This is not only not ideal but truly dangerous. JMOO.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

I am willing to bet she only knew the half of it.. Everyone willing to burn her at the stake here. I don't know how she got connected to this douche bag. I assume he's a chameleon.

The half of a child being removed from their home by the state of AZ? Of his years of alcoholism and continued endangerment AFTER a child was removed from their home? After DUIs and criminal cases? She paid his lawyers fees, he was unemployed. So, she knew plenty, as documented in her own texts. JMOOO. She had no financial dependence, this is all in her head and she had the means to seek counseling. IMOO.

If parents can cause harm to the extent of removal and the other parent is not responsible for any duty to protect, where does that leave the helpless, defenseless little kids? In Parker's case, it left her dead. And mom still acting like this dude is her god, pressuring little girls to lie about the murder of their little sister. They probably feel more responsible than either messed up adult. Their sick dance has gone on for years, neither will stop now, when a 2 year old baked in the driveway did not wake her up from the trance more than momentarily, rather causing her to double down, I pray for the lives of the 2 who remain in the home. AZ removed one and must act to also protect these brave, honest little girls.

After he is locked up, would not be surprised if she finds another loser man, neither parent seems right in their thinking. JMOO. She is very accomplished in her profession, a doctor and professor, but who knows if she will even keep that now. Given the sensitivity of her practice area, I imagine many may question her judgement there too. And now she stopped working, also not a sustainable solution to the problem of dangerous dad for no one to have an income. That she is pressuring those little girls to lie is sickening to me. JMOOO.

 

[tlcya]

I am willing to bet she only knew the half of it.. Everyone willing to burn her at the stake here. I don't know how she got connected to this douche bag. I assume he's a chameleon.

pointing out that she knew what she knew and yet continued to allow her children to be endangered and questioning WHY that decision was made daily is in no way burning her at the stake. It is an effort to understand the motivation behind the WHY of it all. JMO

 

[Arkay]

I don't think the math works out though. Oldest daughter is 16. Next oldest (first child with ES) is 9. So #1 was approx 7 when the second child arrived. She said in the interview she began to be left in the car at age 6/7. She wasn't removed until she was older and self harming.

Just guessing but it’s possible the eldest daughter had been left alone in the car prior to age 7, but was too young to remember it.
Just as had Parker survived, she’d have no recollection of this incident.

<modsnip - off limits>

TIA.