Tucson, Arizona — Christopher Scholtes, a 38-year-old father charged in the hot-car death of his 2-year-old daughter, Parker Scholtes, has been granted permission by a state court judge to go on a vacation to Hawaii with his wife and two surviving children.
Details of the Case
Scholtes is currently facing first-degree murder and child abuse charges in connection with his daughter’s tragic death in July 2024. Authorities allege that Scholtes left Parker in the car while it was parked outside their home for several hours.
The incident happened after Scholtes reportedly got “distracted” playing video games and putting food away. It is also alleged that Scholtes regularly left his children in the car unattended.
Parker died from an overdose of diphenhydramine, the active ingredient in Benadryl, and the temperature outside was reportedly 109 degrees at the time. The car’s air conditioning was running, but it has an automatic shut-off feature after 30 minutes, and Scholtes knew this.
Judge’s Decision and Objections
Despite the serious charges against him, Scholtes was granted permission by Judge Kimberly Ortiz to travel to Maui, Hawaii, for a family vacation from May 1 to May 9, 2025. The judge’s order also stipulated that Scholtes must stay in contact with pretrial services and cannot have unsupervised contact with any children while on vacation.
This decision did not sit well with Pima County Attorney Laura Conover, who strongly objected to the request, telling KVOA, “Our prosecutors strenuously objected. The court granted permission over our objection.”
Details of the Incident
According to reports, after returning home on February 23, 2019, Scholtes reportedly decided to let Parker stay in the car while she slept. When his wife returned home, she asked where Parker was, prompting Scholtes to check on the child and realize he had forgotten her in the car.
Video surveillance from outside the home revealed that Scholtes arrived home at 12:53 p.m., but did not check on Parker until after his wife returned home around 4 p.m. and asked where the child was. It was then that Scholtes realized his mistake.
Scholtes reportedly admitted to leaving the car running but was aware that the car’s safety feature would turn off the engine after 30 minutes. Despite knowing this, he failed to check on his daughter, leading to her tragic death.
The Aftermath
Following Parker’s death, the family was devastated. Scholtes’ wife performed CPR on Parker until emergency responders arrived, but they were unable to revive the child. Scholtes later expressed deep regret and shock, reportedly telling his wife, “I killed our baby, this can’t be real.”
Scholtes’ wife also appeared in court after Parker’s death, asking the judge to allow Scholtes to return home and help with the grieving process. She said, “This was a big mistake and I think that this doesn’t represent him.”
Scholtes’ Legal Status
Scholtes turned down a plea deal in April 2025 that would have required him to plead guilty to second-degree murder and serve up to 25 years in prison. He is now scheduled to go to trial on October 27, 2025.