An Arizona man accused of playing video games and watching pornography while his 2-year-old daughter died in a sweltering car took his own life rather than turning himself in ahead of his sentencing.
Christopher Scholtes, 38, pleaded guilty last month to leaving his toddler unattended for at least three hours in July 2024, which led to the baby’s death. An autopsy showed her body temperature hit nearly 109 degrees.
Scholtes was due to surrender to authorities Wednesday morning, a little over two weeks before his sentencing on Nov. 21, but he dodged accountability, according to Pima County Attorney Laura Conover.
“We expected to be in court this morning because the father had accepted a plea agreement to second-degree murder, which could have carried as much as 30 years in prison,” she told reporters Wednesday afternoon. “But instead of coming in to take account for what has occurred here, we have been informed and we have confirmed that the father took his own life last night.”
Scholtes was reportedly found dead in his Phoenix home at around 5 a.m. Wednesday, according to AZ Family.
Conover lamented the fact that Scholtes’ Tuesday night death by suicide deprived justice for the young victim’s loved ones, while adding yet another loss for Scholtes’ family to bear.
“This is obviously extraordinarily complicated and we extend our deepest sympathies and sorrow to all the loved ones who have suffered the loss of this beautiful baby girl,” Conover said.
The prosecutor’s office expressed its condolences to the victim’s grandmother as well as the girl’s older sisters.
