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Marana hot car death: Plea deal possible for father accused of murder, child abuse

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Published  November 21, 2024 6:54am MST
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 10 Phoenix

Marana hot car death: Father could get plea deal

Chris Scholtes is facing charges of first-degree murder and child abuse in the death of his 2-year-old daughter.

The Brief

    • Christopher Scholtes, 37, allegedly left his daughter inside a hot car for several hours on July 9.
    • The 2-year-old girl died at the hospital.
    • Prosecutors and defense lawyers are working on a possible plea deal.

MARANA, Ariz. - An Arizona father charged in the death of his young daughter, who was left in a hot car, could get a plea deal.

Prosecutors say 37-year-old Christopher Scholtes left his daughter asleep in her car seat after returning to his Marana home on July 9 near Camino De Oeste and Cortaro Farms Road.

Scholtes said he left the car running with the air conditioning on and got distracted while playing video games.

Scholtes' wife later arrived home and found their daughter unconscious. The girl later died at the hospital.

Investigators say surveillance video obtained from nearby homes showed that the girl had been left inside the vehicle for three hours. The temperature in Marana on that day reached 111°F.

Charges upgraded against Marana dad in hot car death

A father in Marana is facing first-degree murder charges in the death of his two-year-old daughter after originally being charged with second-degree murder.

The next day, Scholtes was arrested for murder and child abuse charges.

Scholtes appeared in court for a hearing on Nov. 20. A jury trial is scheduled for September 2025, but lawyers on both sides are working on getting a plea deal done, KOLD-TV in Tucson reports.

The Source

  • Information for this story was gathered from previous FOX 10 reports, the Marana Police Department and KOLD-TV in Tucson.

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