GUILTY Arizona girl, 2, left in car by father on 109-degree day and is found dead #2 (guilty plea, father found dead 5 November 2025 before sentencing)

[NuttMegg]

CS absolutely fits the definition of a "Dry Drunk". We know he really did not stop drinking, due to resorting to stealing beer to drink. But he was kept on a short leash, no money for booze. But even if he "stopped drinking", he still had all of the other baggage alcoholics have.

Dry drunk - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I really can't fathom guzzling 2 beers in the john while little Parker was in the car. Did he enter a stall, pop both tabs while no one could hear? Did he stand on the toilet like in the movies, or align his body to imply #1 or #2? What did he do with the 3rd beer in the meantime? Did he shove the 2 empties way down in the trash to hide them? Why bring the possibly germ laden 3rd can back out to expose his daughter to the bathroom environment, or did he furtively wash the can?

 

[Herat]

I really can't fathom guzzling 2 beers in the john while little Parker was in the car. Did he enter a stall, pop both tabs while no one could hear? Did he stand on the toilet like in the movies, or align his body to imply #1 or #2? What did he do with the 3rd beer in the meantime? Did he shove the 2 empties way down in the trash to hide them? Why bring the possibly germ laden 3rd can back out to expose his daughter to the bathroom environment, or did he furtively wash the can?

Sounds like he knew that any beer cans would be likely to be found at home so he had to drink it all there to avoid getting caught.

Most gas station bathrooms are a single toilet room, without space for stalls. Easy to stash the empties in the trash.

 

[NuttMegg]

Sounds like he knew that any beer cans would be likely to be found at home so he had to drink it all there to avoid getting caught.

Most gas station bathrooms are a single toilet room, without space for stalls. Easy to stash the empties in the trash.

I've forgotten the sequence of his visits to the convenience stores. Iirc there were 2. Or one was groceries? Did he steal alcohol from both places? He must have considered that he was seen with 3 cans, thus having some concern about the 2 empties. So he would have had to hide them from his wife and the store ppl. So many little decisions, such a big consequence.

 

[Herat]

I've forgotten the sequence of his visits to the convenience stores. Iirc there were 2. Or one was groceries? Did he steal alcohol from both places? He must have considered that he was seen with 3 cans, thus having some concern about the 2 empties. So he would have had to hide them from his wife and the store ppl. So many little decisions, such a big consequence.

I also assume that he had done this stealing beers from the gas station stores before.

 

[sunspun]

I really can't fathom guzzling 2 beers in the john while little Parker was in the car. Did he enter a stall, pop both tabs while no one could hear? Did he stand on the toilet like in the movies, or align his body to imply #1 or #2? What did he do with the 3rd beer in the meantime? Did he shove the 2 empties way down in the trash to hide them? Why bring the possibly germ laden 3rd can back out to expose his daughter to the bathroom environment, or did he furtively wash the can?

I thought he didn't actually drink them in the store bathroom. The report said he took 3 cans from the cooler and entered the bathroom with them. If I recall, it said he was in there less than a minute and left with one can in his hand without paying for anything. It was a QuikTrip which has more than one store entrance/exit door, and IME one of those doors is not even in sight for employees at the register to see people going in and out of.

So I thought he was only in the bathroom just long enough to hide 2 beers on him (probably in his pockets, but maybe even in his underwear, brr!) and had no room for the 3rd, so just casually walked out the side door with it in his hand, rather bold, but I can see it easily.

So then would he have drunk them on his drive home, tossing the empties out the window? Or drank them once home while Parker was outside dying? He would've had to stash the cans somewhere in the house, and LE might have found those later and we'd have heard about them in the trial if so. Either one of those I'd believe.

 

[sunspun]

I've forgotten the sequence of his visits to the convenience stores. Iirc there were 2. Or one was groceries? Did he steal alcohol from both places? He must have considered that he was seen with 3 cans, thus having some concern about the 2 empties. So he would have had to hide them from his wife and the store ppl. So many little decisions, such a big consequence.

I thought one was QuikTrip, and one was a grocery (Basha's?), because they said he used the self-checkout lane to buy a few food items (sounded like taco fixings to me) and two drinks (or they may have said beverages), which he (as they said) "neglected" to ring up! So I assume those were also alcoholic, and he didn't want those to show on the receipt, although I did think it was odd that they didn't specify what kind of drinks those were (or did they? I didn't remember that they did. Maybe they couldn't tell from the footage what the labels said.)

 

[NuttMegg]

I thought he didn't actually drink them in the store bathroom. The report said he took 3 cans from the cooler and entered the bathroom with them. If I recall, it said he was in there less than a minute and left with one can in his hand without paying for anything. It was a QuikTrip which has more than one store entrance/exit door, and IME one of those doors is not even in sight for employees at the register to see people going in and out of.

So I thought he was only in the bathroom just long enough to hide 2 beers on him (probably in his pockets, but maybe even in his underwear, brr!) and had no room for the 3rd, so just casually walked out the side door with it in his hand, rather bold, but I can see it easily.

So then would he have drunk them on his drive home, tossing the empties out the window? Or drank them once home while Parker was outside dying? He would've had to stash the cans somewhere in the house, and LE might have found those later and we'd have heard about them in the trial if so. Either one of those I'd believe.

You might be right. I was thinking he had to get rid of 2 cans (via drinking) so as not to be caught with three. Then if he was caught on the way out of the store it would be with just 1 that he could say "oh yeah, I forgot!". Now if he couldn't be seen by the clerk, why would he have to get rid of 2? The other thing I've been wondering about is that of a credit card. Was the only viable credit card with the girls? I am confused as to whether he offered the credit card to the neighbor only briefly before the girls left with the neighbor, and it was deemed unnecessary, or did they take the card with them? (The girls/neighbor). I think I saw it both ways.

So he had some miniscule amount on his own cc, right? So he would habitually avoid putting tell-tale alcohol purchases on EC's.

I guess I don't get why he had to get rid of 2 cans at all, I assumed it was essentially an urgently needed "fix".

I don't think we've see the results of what liquid he had at his playstation, right? I've also wondered why at least the older girl wouldn't recognize the odor of beer. Can the smell of beer be diluted by coke or some strong mixer?

 

[steeltowngirl]

I thought today should be the last day of freedom for CS, but there is conflicting info in media about the date he has to turn himself in. Anyone have the court document listing the accurate date? And where does he turn himself in? I’m keeping an eye on the Pima County jail roster, Pima County Sheriff Department, but that may not be where he is to be held.

Sentencing has been set for Nov. 21 in the case, but Scholtes must turn himself in three weeks prior on Nov. 3.

Arizona Dad Whose Daughter, 2, Died in 109-Degree Hot Car While He Played Video Games Gets Plea Deal

Christopher Scholtes, 38, accidentally left his 2-year-old daughter in a hot car where the temperature reached 109 degrees as he played video games inside.

people.com

Scholtes must turn himself in on Nov. 5. A sentencing hearing is set for Nov. 21.

Marana dad pleads guilty in daughter's hot-car death

Christopher Scholtes will face up to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced next month.

tucson.com

 

[sunspun]

You might be right. I was thinking he had to get rid of 2 cans (via drinking) so as not to be caught with three. Then if he was caught on the way out of the store it would be with just 1 that he could say "oh yeah, I forgot!". Now if he couldn't be seen by the clerk, why would he have to get rid of 2? The other thing I've been wondering about is that of a credit card. Was the only viable credit card with the girls? I am confused as to whether he offered the credit card to the neighbor only briefly before the girls left with the neighbor, and it was deemed unnecessary, or did they take the card with them? (The girls/neighbor). I think I saw it both ways.

So he had some miniscule amount on his own cc, right? So he would habitually avoid putting tell-tale alcohol purchases on EC's.

I guess I don't get why he had to get rid of 2 cans at all, I assumed it was essentially an urgently needed "fix".

I don't think we've see the results of what liquid he had at his playstation, right? I've also wondered why at least the older girl wouldn't recognize the odor of beer. Can the smell of beer be diluted by coke or some strong mixer?

This article talks about the two store stops, as detailed in the police report. I see two differences in what they said and what I posted (from memory), so I stand corrected.

One was he spent 3 minutes total in QT, so probably at least 2 minutes in the bathroom, when I said under a minute, which means he may have indeed guzzled one or more beers in the bathroom. Or, as I implied, he may have spent that time trying to find a way to hide the beers on his person, eventually opting to hide 2 and just walk out w/the third in his hand, possibly because 2 in pockets or wherever might have been ok, but 3 was obvious?

Next, it apparently did specify that the 2 drinks he shoplifted in the grocery were also beers. I just remembered them saying drinks or beverages.

Dad's troublesome behavior preceded Marana girl's hot-car death, court records show

Parker Scholtes, 2, died in July after being left in a hot car for hours in the driveway of he family's Marana home.

tucson.com

 

[OneLove]

So then would he have drunk them on his drive home, tossing the empties out the window? Or drank them once home while Parker was outside dying? He would've had to stash the cans somewhere in the house, and LE might have found those later and we'd have heard about them in the trial if so. Either one of those I'd believe.

I've reasoned through this question myself. I believe he drank in the car when only Parker was in the car because she was too young to be aware. Remember the 138mph while drunk? Only Parker in the car.

I'm guessing when his enabler fool was busy working to support him, he had a place where he could keep a surreptitious stash. Maybe in a small cooler under a bed where ES and the kids would never look? Then he could down a beer in the bedroom even when the older kids were in the house. In a garage cabinet? If ES never took trash out herself, he could very easily toss empties in the outside trash can and hide them under something. If ever found, he could claim a friend or some secretive alcoholic neighbor put them there since there was never a receipt showing beer purchases and he could show receipts for each stop he made to prove they weren't his.

For what it's worth, I think he insisted on a shower that day to wash the stench of alcohol and maybe cannabis off and change to clean clothes. Who focuses on that under THOSE circumstances? He knew he was in big trouble, imo.

Also, it's been pointed out that he routinely behaved atrociously on vacations, distressing the kids, bystanders, and humiliating his keeper/enabler. I believe thats because he couldn't get away with surreptitious drinking and drugging on vacation the way he could when just keeping Parker while the older kids were in school and he had no hidden stash to run to. He became surly and inexcusably nasty due to his cold turkey withdrawal episodes. ES is a physician; she could have recognized this dysfunction if she hadn't been so hyper focused on keeping him happy, on board, AND projecting a fraudulent image of him as not-a-degenerate worthless boor.

 

[sunspun]

Also, it's been pointed out that he behaved atrociously on vacations, distressing the kids and humiliating his keeper/enabler. I believe thats because he couldn't get away with surreptitious drinking and drugging the way he could just keeping Parker while the older kids were in school and no hidden stash to run to either. He became surly and inexcusably nasty due to cold turkey withdrawal episodes. ES is a physician; she could have recognized this dysfunction if she hadn't been so hyper focused on keeping him happy AND projecting a fraudulent image of him as not-a-degenerate.

Yes, either this or ES "allowed" him to drink on vacations, making vacations an exception to her normal rule of him not drinking, but since he can "never stop at just one" (paraphrased from one of her texts to him), he would get drunk and is apparently a surly drunk naturally.

 

[NuttMegg]

This article talks about the two store stops, as detailed in the police report. I see two differences in what they said and what I posted (from memory), so I stand corrected.

One was he spent 3 minutes total in QT, so probably at least 2 minutes in the bathroom, when I said under a minute, which means he may have indeed guzzled one or more beers in the bathroom. Or, as I implied, he may have spent that time trying to find a way to hide the beers on his person, eventually opting to hide 2 and just walk out w/the third in his hand, possibly because 2 in pockets or wherever might have been ok, but 3 was obvious?

Next, it apparently did specify that the 2 drinks he shoplifted in the grocery were also beers. I just remembered them saying drinks or beverages.

Dad's troublesome behavior preceded Marana girl's hot-car death, court records show

Parker Scholtes, 2, died in July after being left in a hot car for hours in the driveway of he family's Marana home.

tucson.com

I'd be gone after 5 beers in just those few hours. I haven't seen how ES knew he had driven 2 kids home while drunk, or that he had drunk driven 138 mph with PS in the car. I wonder if he just made sure she found out these things to test her. Worse and worse behavior while her goal was not to upset him.

Couples play creepy games. Maybe he was so checked out, just thumbing his nose, daring her to do something about it.

 

[Bernie54]

Earlier on this day, at 10;06 AM, there’s a text from ES to CS that simply says ES sent a “picture of a child in a car seat.” Nearly an hour later CS responds by loving the image. I am curious about what child was shown in this photo and why ES sent it to him, especially given that she was WELL AWARE of his history of leaving his kids trapped alone in cars.

I think there’s some context missing. I had to read it a couple times to make it make sense! My guess is they’re looking for a baby shower gift, because two text above this at 0759 he sends her pic of diaper bag to ask if he should get this for friend. So my presumption is it was a stock photo from a store and she was suggesting the car seat as gift instead of diaper bag.

 

[ErinC]

I'd be gone after 5 beers in just those few hours. I haven't seen how ES knew he had driven 2 kids home while drunk, or that he had drunk driven 138 mph with PS in the car. I wonder if he just made sure she found out these things to test her. Worse and worse behavior while her goal was not to upset him.

Couples play creepy games. Maybe he was so checked out, just thumbing his nose, daring her to do something about it.

I'm guessing she had Life360 or similar on his phone. Such apps can record both speed and high risk behaviors (stomping on the brakes, etc) while in a vehicle. If I found myself in a situation where I felt I had to track my spouse electronically, I'd be gone. I wouldn't put up with him and I certainly wouldn't leave my children with him! This woman is... something. MOO

 

[abyquinn]

I thought he didn't actually drink them in the store bathroom. The report said he took 3 cans from the cooler and entered the bathroom with them. If I recall, it said he was in there less than a minute and left with one can in his hand without paying for anything. It was a QuikTrip which has more than one store entrance/exit door, and IME one of those doors is not even in sight for employees at the register to see people going in and out of.

So I thought he was only in the bathroom just long enough to hide 2 beers on him (probably in his pockets, but maybe even in his underwear, brr!) and had no room for the 3rd, so just casually walked out the side door with it in his hand, rather bold, but I can see it easily.

So then would he have drunk them on his drive home, tossing the empties out the window? Or drank them once home while Parker was outside dying? He would've had to stash the cans somewhere in the house, and LE might have found those later and we'd have heard about them in the trial if so. Either one of those I'd believe.

I grabbed these screen shots from the LEOs videos from their body worn cameras. I believe these are the clothes he was wearing when he ran errands with Parker since we’ve heard everything he did after coming home, changing clothes was never mentioned. It’s hard to tell from these shots but I’m pretty sure he didn’t stash any cans on his person.

I figured he grabbed the beers, slammed 2 in the restroom & walked out with the other. He paid for some items at Basha’s he probably dropped the cans in the bag & walked out of there thinking he was slick.

 

[mickey2942]

Look at all of the "toys" CS had to make him happy, in the photo above. Keyboard, double bass electric violin, drums, Playstation. Probably more stuff we can't see. But that picture shows a lot. INMO.

 

[OneLove]

Look at all of the "toys" CS had to make him happy, in the photo above. Keyboard, double bass electric violin, drums, Playstation. Probably more stuff we can't see. But that picture shows a lot. INMO.

Quite apparently, he was her first child. Or maybe, since his "career" was bartender before being ES's manbaby, maybe they were his toys before ES and some prior enabler fool made those magically appear as appeasement.

Someday, once he's caged for the higher good of mankind, I'd like to read a bit about his childhood and young manbaby-hood. It might answer some questions. Its so hard to believe that ES didnt have any friends who warned her about his very apparent pathologies before she committed to being his legal keeper.

 

[mickey2942]

Quite apparently, he was her first child. Or maybe, since his "career" was bartender before being ES's manbaby, maybe they were his toys before ES and some prior enabler fool made those magically appear as appeasement.

Someday, once he's caged for the higher good of mankind, I'd like to read a bit about his childhood and young manbaby-hood. It might answer some questions. Its so hard to believe that ES didnt have any friends who warned her about his very apparent pathologies before she committed to being his legal keeper.

My step son had a set up like that, he could play the drums as much as he wanted, when they are electric, the sound goes into the headphones. The "noise" is muted.

But the musician literally can't hear anything. Makes me wonder if he played with those instruments while "watching" the kids. No wonder he never knew where they were.

 

[Herat]

I thought today should be the last day of freedom for CS, but there is conflicting info in media about the date he has to turn himself in. Anyone have the court document listing the accurate date? And where does he turn himself in? I’m keeping an eye on the Pima County jail roster, Pima County Sheriff Department, but that may not be where he is to be held.

Sentencing has been set for Nov. 21 in the case, but Scholtes must turn himself in three weeks prior on Nov. 3.

Arizona Dad Whose Daughter, 2, Died in 109-Degree Hot Car While He Played Video Games Gets Plea Deal

Christopher Scholtes, 38, accidentally left his 2-year-old daughter in a hot car where the temperature reached 109 degrees as he played video games inside.

people.com

Scholtes must turn himself in on Nov. 5. A sentencing hearing is set for Nov. 21.

Marana dad pleads guilty in daughter's hot-car death

Christopher Scholtes will face up to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced next month.

tucson.com

So will he be incarcerated on Nov 5, then reside in jail awaiting the sentencing on Nov 21; or does he get out to spend another 17 days at home without restraint, with the assumption he will show up for sentencing and then enter prison for something like 20 years?

What happens if his wife is sick or injured and claims she needs him for assistance with the children?

I honestly don't understand how far his special treatment is going to be extended.

 

[mickey2942]

I wonder if CS and ES actually read that investigation report. And what they thought about it. As I read it, page by page, it showed so much dysfunction in the daily lives of their family.