An Arizona father facing first-degree murder charges for the hot car death of his 2-year-old daughter has been granted permission to vacation in Hawaii while awaiting trial.

At a Glance

• Christopher Scholtes, 37, is charged with first-degree murder after his daughter Parker died in a car on a 109-degree day
• Prosecutors allege Scholtes played video games for over three hours while his daughter remained in the vehicle
• Judge Kimberly Ortiz approved his request for a 10-day family vacation to Hawaii despite prosecution objections
• Security footage showed Scholtes didn’t check on his daughter from 12:53 p.m. until after 4 p.m.
• If convicted, Scholtes faces a potential life sentence at his trial scheduled for October 2025

Father Charged with Daughter’s Hot Car Death

Christopher Scholtes, 37, faces first-degree murder and child abuse charges following the death of his 2-year-old daughter Parker, who died after being left in a hot car for several hours. According to investigators, Scholtes left the toddler in the family’s vehicle on a day when outside temperatures reached 109 degrees. Security footage revealed that Scholtes arrived home at 12:53 p.m. but did not check on Parker until after 4 p.m. when his wife returned home. By then, emergency responders could not resuscitate the child despite the mother’s attempts at CPR.

Police reports indicate Scholtes claimed he had left the car running with the air conditioner on, but acknowledged the vehicle would automatically shut off after 30 minutes. During the critical hours, Scholtes was allegedly playing video games on his PlayStation and putting away groceries. Investigators later seized both the vehicle and the gaming console as evidence. This case has drawn particular attention as evidence mounts that the behavior wasn’t an isolated incident but part of a concerning pattern.

Pattern of Negligence Revealed

Court documents reveal a troubling history of similar behavior. Scholtes’ 16-year-old daughter told investigators that he frequently left her alone in the car for hours when she was younger. Text messages between Scholtes and his wife, recovered during the investigation, showed she had previously expressed frustration about his habit of leaving their children unattended in vehicles. These communications, along with testimony from his other children, suggest that Parker’s death followed a pattern of negligence rather than a one-time lapse in judgment.

“This was a big mistake and I think that this doesn’t represent him. And I just want that the girls to see their father so that I don’t have to tell them tonight that they’re going to endure another loss.”, said Scholtes’ wife.

Initially charged with second-degree murder, Scholtes now faces the more serious charge of first-degree murder, suggesting prosecutors believe they have evidence of premeditation or extreme indifference to human life. The father has declined a plea deal for the lesser charge of second-degree murder, choosing instead to proceed to trial, currently scheduled for October 27, 2025. If convicted of first-degree murder, Scholtes could face life imprisonment.

Controversial Vacation Approval

In a decision that has sparked public outrage, Judge Kimberly Ortiz approved Scholtes’ request to travel to Maui for a family vacation from May 1 to May 9, 2025. This approval came despite vigorous objections from Pima County prosecutors. The judge’s ruling included specific conditions: Scholtes must maintain contact with Pretrial Services during the trip and is prohibited from having unsupervised contact with his surviving children while in Hawaii.

Pima County Attorney Laura Conover released a statement emphasizing her office’s opposition to the travel request: “The public record would show that the defendant and his counsel requested permission from the court to travel out-of-state. Our prosecutors strenuously objected. The court granted permission over our objection.” Despite these objections, Scholtes’ wife had asked the court to allow him to return home to help with the family’s healing process, arguing that his presence would benefit their other children during this difficult time.