Distressing Footage Shows Rescue Efforts
Disturbing police bodycam footage has emerged, showing the frantic efforts to save a two-year-old girl who tragically died after being left in a hot car by her father, Christopher Scholtes, in Marana, Arizona. The video, obtained by Inside Edition, captures Scholtes in a state of despair, exclaiming, “I can’t believe this!” as he held his head in his hands.
Father charged with murder and child abuse
Scholtes, 37, was charged in July with second-degree murder and child abuse after allegedly leaving his daughter in the car for about three hours, as temperatures soared to 109 degrees. He claimed that he left her in the vehicle with the air conditioning on because she was asleep when they arrived home. However, when his wife returned and asked about their child, they found her unresponsive in the car, which was no longer running and had no air conditioning.
Distraction leads to tragedy
According to police, Scholtes became distracted by playing a video game and putting his food away. The bodycam footage also reveals a conversation between Scholtes and an officer, where Scholtes asks, “So I’m being treated like a murderer?” after learning that his home was being treated as a possible crime scene.
Wife’s text messages highlight concerns
Court documents show that Scholtes received text messages from his wife, scolding him for repeatedly leaving their child in the car. “I told you to stop leaving them in the car. How many times have I told you?” she wrote. Scholtes responded with remorse, “We’ve lost her, she was perfect. Babe, our family. How could I do this? I killed our baby, this can’t be real.”
Scholtes, who was aware that his car had a safety feature to turn off the engine after 30 minutes, pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder last Thursday. His wife, speaking to the judge, described the incident as “a big mistake.”
