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

[airportwoman]

Her father claimed that he left her in the car in the driveway, with the engine and a/c on, and when he came back about half an hour later, it had somehow turned itself off, and the car had overheated and she had died.

I have a really bad feeling about this one, and that this isn't what really happened. I realize we have to let authorities do their jobs.

2-year-old Arizona girl dies after dad leaves her in car during triple-digit heat: Police

A 2-year-old girl has died after her father left her in a hot car as triple-digit temperatures hit Arizona.

abcnews.go.com

 

[clorenc]

This will hopefully be helpful:

“Interviews are underway and police are looking for surveillance video in the neighborhood, he said.”

 

[Mack the Knife]

I have that same bad feeling, and I can't help but feel like anyone in Arizona should know better about the dangers of heat. Especially with young children.

I'd think they should know better, they must, there's no way someone would think running the A/C was sufficient. But then I just read about a family who took their 4-month old out on Lake Havasu in the middle of a day that topped out at 121. Heat is so, so dangerous, and summers are only getting hotter.

 

[clorenc]

Is anyone good at identifying cars? Looks like the white car might be a Tesla Model Y; not sure about the black SUV — maybe an older Acura MDX?

(Source of photos: Girl, 2, dies in hot car after 'her father made terrible mistake')

From the Model Y Owner's Manual:

https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/modely/en_us/GUID-E75DB1EC-A705-4784-9983-DE677D1BF7C1.html

 

[LadyL]

why would he leave her for 1/2 hour??? what was he doing that he couldn't take her in for the 1/2 hour???

ETA: just read it was between 30-60 minutes later??? that must be what he told them - they will be able to ascertain from cameras how long it was actually but even by his estimate (or lie?), who leaves their child in the driveway for an hour?!

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I think this one sounds like a loving parent who made the biggest mistake of his life. He's probably wondering now what he was thinking. But at the time, it seemed like it would be okay to let her sleep a bit more with the AC on. Then he started doing other things inside the house and time slipped by. He now probably can't believe he made this foolish mistake and will regret it forever. IMO.

I feel worse for the child, her mom, and sisters, though.

 

[Inthedetails]

I think this one sounds like a loving parent who made the biggest mistake of his life. He's probably wondering now what he was thinking. But at the time, it seemed like it would be okay to let her sleep a bit more with the AC on. Then he started doing other things inside the house and time slipped by. He now probably can't believe he made this foolish mistake and will regret it forever. IMO.

I feel worse for the child, her mom, and sisters, though.

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.

 

[Shamrock1]

May be relevant if vehicle was a Tesla: Tesla Owners Say Dog Mode Is Malfunctioning as Summer Heats Up: Report

 

[MissMalowe]

Before re-reading the article more closely again, I thought perhaps the car was left idling in the GARAGE at the time of the incident and that maybe carbon monoxide poisoning was a factor, but I see the articles say it was parked in the driveway, not the garage.

They have other children, where were they at the time of the incident? Were they not home at the time?

 

[MsMarple]

According to the video at the top of the article the car was a 2023 Acura MDX. Father gave a timeline of arriving home at 2:45 pm but neighborhood video shows the car arriving at 12:53.

The mother arrived at 4 pm and asked about the girl. 911 was called at 4:10.

LE executed a search warrant and removed items, including a PlayStation. The officer said the investigation could take several weeks.

So the girl possibly was left for 3 hours, not a half hour.

2-year-old Arizona girl dies after dad leaves her in car during triple-digit heat: Police

A 2-year-old girl has died after her father left her in a hot car as triple-digit temperatures hit Arizona.

abcnews.go.com

Girl, 2, dies in hot car after 'her father made terrible mistake'

Parker Scholtes, 2, died after she was left in a car outside her home in Tucson, Arizona, for at least half an hour by her father Chris Scholtes as the temperature climbed to 109F.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[clorenc]

According to the video at the top of the article the car was a 2023 Acura MDX. Father gave a timeline of arriving home at 2:45 pm but neighborhood video shows the car arriving at 12:53.

The mother arrived at 4 pm and asked about the girl. 911 was called at 4:10.

LE executed a search warrant and removed items, including a PlayStation. The officer said the investigation could take several weeks.

So the girl possibly was left for 3 hours, not a half hour.

2-year-old Arizona girl dies after dad leaves her in car during triple-digit heat: Police

A 2-year-old girl has died after her father left her in a hot car as triple-digit temperatures hit Arizona.

abcnews.go.com

Girl, 2, dies in hot car after 'her father made terrible mistake'

Parker Scholtes, 2, died after she was left in a car outside her home in Tucson, Arizona, for at least half an hour by her father Chris Scholtes as the temperature climbed to 109F.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Well, that paints a whole different picture.

Sounds like he may have been playing video games?

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

Teslas are ubiquitous out here. They do turn themselves on and off to cool themselves. Owners should be responsible and know this about their cars.

That is all I will say about this case.

 

[clorenc]

Here’s the 2023 MDX Owner’s Manual:

So two hours and forty minutes with no AC.

https://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis//pubs/OM/AH/BTYA2323OM/enu/BTYA2323OM.PDF

 

[KMouse]

This isn't a 'terrible mistake' this is an adult who CHOSE to leave his toddler in a hot car for what sounds like hours while he played video games. There's no 'mistake'.

 

[clorenc]

This isn't a 'terrible mistake' this is an adult who CHOSE to leave his toddler in a hot car for what sounds like hours while he played video games. There's no 'mistake'.

I think it was fair to think it could have been a mistake, before we knew more . . . Might seem safe to keep a sleeping toddler strapped in so she doesn’t run into the street while you’re unloading the other two kids and some groceries, thinking you’ll come right back out for her. You help another daughter rush to the potty, then, on autopilot, you start putting away the groceries while ruminating about some work issue, and you forget that the toddler is still in the car.

But now that we know the length of time and that he was possibly playing video games, I think it definitely changes from just a “mistake.”

 

[LadyL]

According to the video at the top of the article the car was a 2023 Acura MDX. Father gave a timeline of arriving home at 2:45 pm but neighborhood video shows the car arriving at 12:53.

The mother arrived at 4 pm and asked about the girl. 911 was called at 4:10.

LE executed a search warrant and removed items, including a PlayStation. The officer said the investigation could take several weeks.

So the girl possibly was left for 3 hours, not a half hour.

2-year-old Arizona girl dies after dad leaves her in car during triple-digit heat: Police

A 2-year-old girl has died after her father left her in a hot car as triple-digit temperatures hit Arizona.

abcnews.go.com

Girl, 2, dies in hot car after 'her father made terrible mistake'

Parker Scholtes, 2, died after she was left in a car outside her home in Tucson, Arizona, for at least half an hour by her father Chris Scholtes as the temperature climbed to 109F.

www.dailymail.co.uk

I knew it. How does someone mistake 3 hours for 30-60 minutes?

 

[MsMarple]

This isn't a 'terrible mistake' this is an adult who CHOSE to leave his toddler in a hot car for what sounds like hours while he played video games. There's no 'mistake'.

Yes, he lost my sympathy when he decided to leave his sleeping daughter in the car. He lives in Arizona, there’s a heat wave with temperatures above 105 degrees for pity’s sake!

BTW, in Arizona there’s no law prohibiting leaving a child in a car, running or not. IMO that needs to change. I’m also in favor of immediately taking blood to rule out impairment from drug or alcohol use.

Just because a caregiver is remorseful and acknowledges their mistake it shouldn’t negate their reckless behavior when they intentionally left their child in danger.
MOO

 

[Ray_of_hope]

why would he leave her for 1/2 hour??? what was he doing that he couldn't take her in for the 1/2 hour???

ETA: just read it was between 30-60 minutes later??? that must be what he told them - they will be able to ascertain from cameras how long it was actually but even by his estimate (or lie?), who leaves their child in the driveway for an hour?!

I'll bet she was sleeping and he didn't want to wake her. No excuse at all though. A two year old that's awake is not going to want to be left in a car alone while the parent goes inside the house. I think the child would scream loudly and cry if left unattended. I think the dad thought he could get X,Y and Z done while she was napping but it was the wrong decision for sure.

 

[Ray_of_hope]

According to the video at the top of the article the car was a 2023 Acura MDX. Father gave a timeline of arriving home at 2:45 pm but neighborhood video shows the car arriving at 12:53.

The mother arrived at 4 pm and asked about the girl. 911 was called at 4:10.

LE executed a search warrant and removed items, including a PlayStation. The officer said the investigation could take several weeks.

So the girl possibly was left for 3 hours, not a half hour.

2-year-old Arizona girl dies after dad leaves her in car during triple-digit heat: Police

A 2-year-old girl has died after her father left her in a hot car as triple-digit temperatures hit Arizona.

abcnews.go.com

Girl, 2, dies in hot car after 'her father made terrible mistake'

Parker Scholtes, 2, died after she was left in a car outside her home in Tucson, Arizona, for at least half an hour by her father Chris Scholtes as the temperature climbed to 109F.

www.dailymail.co.uk

It's not clear if he forgot the toddler, or if he left her sleeping or whatever.

 

[clorenc]

It's not clear if he forgot the toddler, or if he left her sleeping or whatever.

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