An Arizona man who pleaded guilty to leaving his 2-year-old daughter to die in a hot car has been found dead, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
Christopher Scholtes, who was scheduled to report to prison that same day, never arrived for his sentencing hearing. His death is being investigated as a suspected suicide, officials said.
Scholtes had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the death of his daughter, who was found unresponsive inside a vehicle on July 9, 2024, when temperatures in the area reached 109°F.
According to court documents, Scholtes admitted that he had left the child in the car for hours while he watched pornography and played video games inside his home.
Investigators said Scholtes’ two other children, ages 5 and 9, told police that their father often left them in the car, claiming he would “get distracted by playing his game and putting his food away.”
Text messages presented in court revealed that Scholtes’ wife had repeatedly warned him about leaving the children unattended. One message, sent as their daughter was being rushed to the hospital, read:
“I told you to stop leaving them in the car. How many times have I told you?”
Scholtes was facing up to 30 years in prison for his daughter’s death. Authorities have not released the exact cause of his death pending an autopsy.
