After a tragic incident, a two-year-old girl was discovered inside a sweltering car with a body temperature exceeding 40C when emergency responders arrived. The girl’s father, 38-year-old Christopher Scholtes, had left her in the car for several hours upon returning home, claiming he had left her sleeping with the air conditioning on. His wife, who is an anaesthesiologist, was working at the time, and only upon her return did she realize her daughter was missing, prompting Scholtes to check the car parked in direct sunlight with temperatures reaching 43C.
Christopher Scholtes, who was scheduled to surrender following a plea agreement, was found deceased. Authorities reported that Scholtes confessed to knowingly leaving his daughter in the car, revealing that he typically parked in the garage but refrained from doing so that day due to obstructing exercise equipment. Investigators learned from Scholtes’ other children, aged nine and five, that the children were frequently left alone in the car by their father.
Prosecutors alleged that Scholtes was engaged in drinking beer, playing video games, and watching adult content while his daughter was left unattended in the hot car. Despite initially claiming a 30-minute absence of his daughter, surveillance footage contradicted this timeline. The girl was discovered motionless in the car upon her parents’ return, leading to a failed rescue attempt.
Subsequent findings from an autopsy revealed the girl’s body temperature at a fatal level of 108.9F (42.72C) due to environmental heat exposure. The medical examiner concluded the cause of death as accidental heat exposure. Scholtes’ assertion that he left his daughter with the air conditioning running for 30 minutes was disproven, as the car’s engine shuts off automatically after that duration.
In a tragic turn of events, Scholtes, who had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and child abuse, was discovered deceased in his residence before surrendering for incarceration. The plea agreement stipulated a potential maximum sentence of 30 years for the charges, with a sentencing hearing scheduled for November 21.