About the death of a 2-year-old girl who was discovered lifeless inside a heated car in Arizona, her father has been taken into custody.
The father of the child, Christopher Scholtes, 37, was taken into custody and placed in the Pima County Adult Detention early on Friday, July 12, according to the Marana Police Department.
Police have charged him with second-degree murder and child abuse in connection with what they call a “tragic event.”
On Tuesday, July 9, just after 4:00 p.m., officers responded to a report of an unresponsive toddler left in a car and went to the family’s residence, according to police.
With temperatures above 110 degrees, an Excessive Heat Warning was in force in the area that day, according to AZFamily.
Scholtes told police during the preliminary probe that he parked his car in the driveway with the air running to keep his daughter, who was sound asleep in her car seat, from waking up.
The toddler’s mother returned home soon after he went inside, according to the police, and discovered their daughter motionless inside the car, “which was no longer running, and the air conditioning was off.”
Until help arrived, the mother gave her daughter CPR and carried out more life-saving procedures. After being taken to Banner University Medical Center, the toddler was declared dead.
Scholtes was taken into custody after authorities discovered, through the use of video surveillance from surrounding homes and a search request, that the child had been inside the car for around three hours.
Since 1998, vehicle heatstroke has claimed the lives of almost 960 youngsters, according to the National Safety Council.
The incident serves as a clear reminder of the risks associated with leaving youngsters unsupervised in cars. Even on rather moderate days, the temperature inside a car can rise quickly, with possibly catastrophic results occurring in a matter of minutes, according to a statement from the Marana Police Department.
The letter went on, “We implore all parents and caregivers to exercise caution and stay watchful to protect their children. “The Marana Police Department and our entire community feel this heartbreaking loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this tragic incident.”
