An Arizona man charged with murder after he allegedly killed his two-year-old by leaving her in a hot car during a heat wave for hours is an “amazing father” and a “pillar of the community,” his wife told a judge.
Anesthesiologist Erika Scholtes, 35, called her toddler daughter’s death a “big mistake” during a Friday court hearing for Christopher Scholtes, who pleaded not guilty in the death of their youngest child, Parker.
Authorities said Scholtes, 37, of Marana, Ariz., left Parker in a car in the family’s driveway for hours Tuesday in 111 degree temperatures.
“I’m just asking if you can allow him to come home to us so that we can all start the grieving process so he can bury our daughter with us this upcoming week and that we can go through this whole process together as a family,” Erika Scholtes begged the judge.
“This was a big mistake and this doesn’t represent him,” she added. “I just want the girls to see their father – that I don’t have to tell them tonight that they’re going to have to endure another loss. “
He’s not a risk to the community, she insisted.
He was arrested early Friday and charged with second-degree murder and child abuse, according to the Marana Police Department.
Scholtes appeared in court later that same day. A not guilty plea was entered by the judge and the father of three was then released to pre-trial services, according to a report.
The judge set a $25,000 secured bond, refusing the state’s request for a heftier $1 million bond.
In audio provided by KVOA TV, Mrs. Scholtes can be heard calmly requesting the judge let her husband come home while awaiting his preliminary hearing on Aug. 1, so the family can mourn the dead child together.
The police were called to the home just after 4 p.m. Tuesday after the child’s mother came home to find her daughter unresponsive inside a car that was turned off, with no air conditioner running.
The mom performed CPR on Parker until first responders arrived. The child was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Scholtes allegedly told cops he arrived home with his daughter asleep in her car seat.
Not wanting to wake her up, Scholtes said he left her in the running car with the air conditioning on and went inside, according to the police. At some point, the vehicle shut off.
Scholtes originally told cops he drove home with his daughter at 2 p.m. but video footage from a neighbor indicated he arrived home at 12:53 p.m., KOLD TV reported.
Temperatures hit a record-setting 111 degrees in Marana that day, meaning it would only take roughly 20 minutes for a car to heat up to 140 degrees and just 40 minutes to reach 150 degrees, ABC15 reported.
Marana Police Captain Tim Brunenkant told reporters that Parker’s death was still being investigated.
“We don’t know the circumstances, we are trying to find that out. When those temperatures arise especially this week when it’s 110. It’s just tragic.”
Outside of a DUI charge from 15 years ago, Scholtes does not have a criminal history.
One of the conditions of Scholtes’ release is that he have no unsupervised contact with children.
His wife told the court she will be taking an extended leave of absence from work, KVOA reported.
It was not immediately clear what Christopher Scholtes does for a living.