Dad's 3-Hour Distraction Leaves Toddler to Die in Hot SUV

A devastating incident occurred in Marana, Arizona, where two-year-old Parker Scholtes succumbed to heatstroke after her father, Christopher Scholtes, left her unattended in an SUV for three hours. The temperature outside reached 109F, causing the car's interior to become a deadly trap, with the car seat registering 149.1F. While Parker was trapped, her father engaged in recreational activities, including playing video games and watching pornography, inside the air-conditioned family home.

Disturbing crime scene photos revealed tiny handprints on the inside of the car window, indicating Parker's desperate attempts to escape the extreme heat. Her small pink dress, found on the kitchen floor, was slashed open by paramedics who attempted to revive her. The father, Christopher Scholtes, faced a second-degree murder charge and was due to begin a 20 to 30-year prison sentence, but he died by suicide via carbon monoxide poisoning on November 5, 2025.

Scholtes had initially claimed he left Parker with the engine running and air conditioning on, but it was confirmed to have shut off automatically. Evidence suggested he was also distracted by gaming and viewed adult videos on his phone. His surviving daughters reportedly stated their father was a good dad and it was an accident, though police noted they appeared coached. His wife, an anesthesiologist, stood by him, but he ultimately took his own life before facing justice.