On Tuesday, July 9th, shortly after 4:00 PM, Marana Police Officers and the Northwest Fire District responded to a heartbreaking call involving an unresponsive child in the 5100 block of W. Paytons Court. The child, a 2-year-old girl, was found in a vehicle and later pronounced dead.
The investigation revealed that 37-year-old Christopher Scholtes, the child’s father, had left his daughter asleep in her car seat inside a running vehicle with the air conditioning on. Scholtes explained to officers that he did not want to wake her and left the car running in the driveway while he went inside the house. The mother returned home shortly after and found the vehicle off and the child unresponsive. She called 9-1-1 and performed CPR until emergency services arrived. Despite the efforts of the Northwest Fire District and the Marana Police Department, the child was pronounced dead after being transported to Banner University Medical Center.
Detectives conducted a thorough investigation, including obtaining video surveillance from nearby homes. The footage showed that the child had been in the vehicle for approximately three hours.
Early this morning, Christopher Scholtes was arrested and booked into the Pima County Adult Detention Center. He faces charges of Second-Degree Murder and Child or Vulnerable Adult Abuse.
This tragic event highlights the severe dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles. Even on mild days, the temperature inside a car can rise quickly to deadly levels.
The Marana Police Department urges all parents and caregivers to remain vigilant and take every precaution to ensure the safety of their children. Our community mourns this loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this devastating incident.
