**Arizona Father Charged with Murder Had Prior Child Abuse Allegations, Report Reveals**
*Published: Oct. 17, 2025, 7:35 p.m. ET*
An Arizona father faces first-degree murder charges after allegedly “forgetting” his 2-year-old daughter was napping in her car seat in sweltering 90-degree heat. RadarOnline.com has uncovered that Christopher Scholtes has a history of child abuse allegations involving an older daughter.
Scholtes reportedly became “distracted” by playing video games and watching pornography, while his toddler daughter, Parker, was trapped in a car for over three hours. Temperatures inside the vehicle reportedly soared to as high as 109 degrees.
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### Previous Child Abuse Investigations
This tragic incident is not the first time Scholtes’s parenting has come under scrutiny. The 38-year-old has faced multiple investigations by Arizona’s Department of Child Safety concerning a 16-year-old daughter from an earlier marriage.
Between June 2014 and December 2020, Scholtes was investigated nine times on allegations of neglect, as well as physical and emotional abuse. Reports included claims that he would slap and spank the child, sometimes leaving bruises.
One particularly alarming allegation stated that Scholtes “slapped the child, causing them to lose their breath,” and neglected to oversee the child’s diabetes management.
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### Emotional and Verbal Abuse Allegations
In addition to physical abuse, Scholtes was accused of verbal abuse. Reports indicated he used derogatory names and yelled excessively at the child. Allegedly, he referred to the daughter as “a mistake” and said things intended to “break her mentally.”
These harsh dynamics reportedly led the girl to experience suicidal ideation, exacerbated by differential treatment from Scholtes and his stepmother compared to other children in the household.
Despite these serious allegations, all investigations were eventually closed without substantiation due to insufficient evidence. Authorities assessed the child as safe in Scholtes’ home and provided the family with information about available community services.
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### The Incident: Toddler Left in Hot Car
The latest court filings reveal that on the day of the tragic incident, Scholtes reportedly cracked open beers he had shoplifted earlier, played video games, and searched for pornography on his PlayStation. Meanwhile, his toddler Parker napped unnoticed in his 2003 Acura.
Scholtes claims he left the car running with air conditioning on; however, after several hours, the vehicle shut off. Medical examiners confirmed that inside the car, temperatures peaked at 109 degrees over the three hours Parker was trapped.
Parker’s mother, an anesthesiologist, found her daughter in critical condition with the air conditioning off upon returning home around 4 p.m. The child was rushed to the hospital where her mother works but was declared dead an hour later.
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### Legal Proceedings and Family History
Scholtes has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. He reportedly turned down a plea deal that would have reduced the charge to second-degree murder, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years.
According to a criminal complaint, Scholtes’s neglectful behavior extends beyond this incident. Two surviving daughters, aged 6 and 9 at the time, told investigators their father had previously left them alone for hours, often without food or water.
Adding to the tragedy, a text message from Scholtes’s wife, Erika, allegedly sent after Parker’s death, read:
“I told you to stop leaving them in the car. How many times have I told you?”
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This heartbreaking case highlights ongoing concerns about child neglect and abuse, underscoring the vital importance of vigilance and intervention in protecting vulnerable children.
https://radaronline.com/p/arizona-dad-christopher-scholtes-toddler-car-history-abuse-allegations-death-penalty/