Each year, nearly 40 children die in hot cars in the United States. The dangers of leaving a child in a hot car cannot be overstated. And yet, there are caregivers who still knowingly leave kids in vehicles, unattended.
Even on seemingly mild-weathered days, the temperature inside a vehicle can quickly reach dangerous levels. An Arizona father learned this the hard way after he left his 2-year-old daughter in a vehicle. Now, he's facing murder and child abuse charges in the wake of her death.
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The Marana Police Department responded to a call July 9 about an unresponsive child left in a vehicle.
The Marana Police Department and Northwest Fire District in Arizona responded to a call on July 9 involving an unresponsive child who had been left in a hot vehicle, according to a news release from the police department. Christopher Scholtes, 37, told police he left his 2-year-old daughter in the vehicle because she had fallen asleep in her car seat and he didn't want to wake her. Allegedly, he left the car running with the air conditioning on and then went inside his home.
Sadly, the 2-year-old Arizona girl died after her father allegedly intentionally left her in the hot car.
The police report detailed that the child's mother arrived home and discovered the 2-year-old in the vehicle. At the time, the car was no longer running and the air conditioning was off. The mother called 911 and performed CPR until help arrived. Despite the fire department administering life-saving measures and transporting the little girl to a nearby hospital, she was pronounced dead.
Video surveillance reportedly revealed the child was left in the car for three hours.
Scholtes told police he arrived home at roughly 2:45 p.m., KGUN reported. Police found surveillance video from nearby residences, however, revealing it was 12:53 p.m. That means the little girl was in the hot car for nearly three hours.
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Christopher Scholtes faces murder and child abuse charges.
On July 12, Scholtes was arrested and booked into Pima County Adult Detention Center for second degree murder and child abuse, according to the police department's news release.
KOLD reported that Scholtes pleaded not guilty during an initial court appearance later that day. Later, he was released to pre-trial services.
The police department issued a strong reminder to parents in the wake of the tragedy.
"This incident is a stark reminder of the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles," its news release noted. "The temperature inside a vehicle can rise rapidly, even on relatively mild days, leading to potentially fatal outcomes within minutes."
The message continued: "We urge all parents and caregivers to remain vigilant and take every precaution to ensure the safety of their children. The Marana Police Department and our entire community feel this heartbreaking loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this tragic incident."
