Dad who left daughter to die in scorching car goes on holiday ahead of trial
A father charged with murdering his two-year-old daughter after leaving her in a scorching car last year is heading on a family holiday in Hawaii ahead of his trial.
Christopher Scholtes from Arizona reportedly requested to travel to Hawaii with his wife and two surviving daughters from May 1 to May 9, according to court documents filed in a local court.
On April 3, Judge Kimberly Ortiz agreed to consider the request, and after a hearing on April 15, she approved Scholtes' petition, reports the Mirror.
The trip comes 10 months after Scholtes' two-year-old daughter tragically died, allegedly after being left in his car while he played video games.
According to an interim complaint, Scholtes' wife found their daughter unconscious in the vehicle after returning home three hours later. At the time, the car's interior temperature had reached 43C (109F).
Scholtes reportedly told Marana Police detectives after running errands that day, he left his daughter in the car with the air conditioning on while she slept in her car seat. He allegedly knew his car's engine shuts off automatically after 30 minutes.
Scholtes' two other daughters, then six and nine years old, also reportedly told detectives their father had previously left them alone in the car for extended periods.
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
In a text exchange, his wife allegedly warned him repeatedly to stop leaving the children in the vehicle.
"I told you to stop leaving them in the car, how many times have I told you,' his wife wrote, per the complaint.
'Babe, I'm sorry,' Scholtes responded. 'We've lost her, she was perfect,' wrote his wife. "Babe our family. How could I do this. I killed our baby, this can't be real,' he replied.
After reviewing the evidence, the Pima County Attorney's Office charged Scholtes with first-degree murder and intentional child abuse.
At his arraignment, he pleaded not guilty to both charges. In March, Scholtes rejected a plea deal from prosecutors, which would have reduced the charge to second-degree murder if he had pleaded guilty.
Just days after rejecting the plea deal, Scholtes petitioned the court to allow him to travel to Maui with his family. Judge Ortiz approved the request but stipulated Scholtes must comply with all parole conditions, including contacting pretrial services throughout the trip. Additionally, he was prohibited from having unsupervised contact with children, including his own.
Prosecutors sought to have Scholtes surrender his passport before the trip, but Judge Ortiz denied this motion.
Scholtes' trial is scheduled to begin on October 27, after being delayed from its original September start date. If convicted, he faces a potential life sentence in prison.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
5 hours ago
- Daily Record
Motorbiker airlifted to hospital with 'serious injuries' after accident on Scots road
The man suffered what have been described as 'serious injuries' following the collision. A motorbiker was airlifted to hospital with 'serious injuries' after an accident on a Scots road. The collision happened on the A76 near Mennock, Dumfries and Galloway on Monday evening, with the road closed for several hours as a result. The accident involved a Yamaha FZ1 Fazer motorbike and a black Vauxhall Antara. The bike was being ridden by a 55-year-old man who was taken by air ambulance to Queen Elizabeth University with what have been described as serious injuries. The car was being driven by a 45-year-old woman who was uninjured. The accident happened at around 6.50pm and the road was closed until around 3.30am on Tuesday evening to allow investigations to be carried out. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Police are appealing for anyone with information about what happened to come forward. Sergeant Colin Ramage of the road policing unit at Lockerbie said: 'Our enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances and I would urge anyone with information who hasn't yet spoken to us to get in touch. 'We would also be keen to speak to anyone who may have dashcam footage from the area. 'Anyone who can help is asked to call 101, quoting reference 3164 of August 18.'
Daily Record
5 hours ago
- Daily Record
NATO war planes scrambled after latest Russian attack on Ukraine
Around 30 explosions rocked the region of Poltava in the latest missile strikes. NATO war planes have been scrambled overnight as Vladimir Putin launched another round of attacks on Ukraine, despite telling Donald Trump he is in favour of peace. The brutal attacks followed the US president's claims that Putin had agreed to peace talks with Volodymyr Zelensky, with hopes for a meeting by the end of this month. The Russian premier's commitment to peace was immediately questioned due to both overnight air strikes on Ukraine, and his aide Yury Ushakov failing to confirm that he would personally participate in talks with Zelensky, the Mirror reports. The NATO jets were launched due to the intensity of the latest attacks, which saw strategic bombers release cruise missiles while flying over the Caspian Sea. A statement from military headquarters in Warsaw, Poland read: 'On the night of August 18-19, 2025, long-range aviation of the Russian Federation once again launched missile attacks on Ukrainian territory. 'To ensure the security of Polish airspace, the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces (RFAF) has activated all necessary procedures. 'Polish and allied aircraft have commenced operations, and ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have reached the highest level of alert.' The move was 'preventative in nature and aimed at securing airspace and protecting citizens, especially in areas adjacent to the threatened area'. In a phone call between Putin and Trump lasting 40 minutes, the Russian premier said he was in favour of seeking peace, despite striking the city of Kremenchuk with ballistic and cruise missiles. At least 10 huge explosions occurred across the city as a result, with 30 across the entire Poltava region, cutting electricity in thousands of homes. One report warned: 'The entire Kremenchuk is in smoke - close your windows. Terrible consequences after one of the most massive attacks on the city.' Administrative buildings for the energy sector, as well as gas storage facilities, were hit. Regional governor Volodymyr Kohut said: 'The enemy launched a massive strike on the Poltava region. 'Hits and debris falls were recorded in the Kremenchuk and Lubny districts. Administrative buildings of local energy sector enterprises were damaged. In the Lubny district, as a result of the attack, 1,471 residential and 119 legal subscribers were left without electricity. Emergency Service and energy units are working to eliminate the consequences of the attack.' The Chernihiv region was also struck in a drone attack. In the city of Dnipropetrovsk, an apartment block and a school were damaged. Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform he had spoken to Putin and preparations were underway for a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders. He said: 'I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelensky.' This would be followed by a further meeting which would involve Trump, which they are hoping to organise for the end of August. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. However, Putin's foreign affairs aide Ushakov was less positive, although he admitted the conversation had been "frank" and "constructive". He said: 'Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump expressed support for continuing direct negotiations between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine. 'In this regard, in particular, the idea was discussed that it would be necessary to study the possibility of raising the level of representatives of the Ukrainian and Russian sides.' He did not say Putin had agreed a meeting, only that the Kremlin could "study" the "possibility" of future discussions involving more senior representatives. He added: 'Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump agreed to continue to closely contact each other on the Ukrainian and other pressing issues of the international and bilateral agenda. 'The Russian President once again noted the importance of Donald Trump's personal efforts to find solutions that lead to a long-term settlement in Ukraine. The conversation was frank and very constructive.' Retaliation from Ukraine saw the Lukoil refinery in the city of Volgograd burst into flames, with the roof of City Hospital No. 16 also struck by a downed drone. Over 15 explosions also rang out across the city and its suburbs during the night. Russia's Ministry of Defence said 13 drones had been destroyed over the whole Volgograd region. The oil refinery - one of the largest in the country - is essential to the war effort. In total, around 270 drones and up to 10 missiles were launched on Ukraine following the White House peace talks. Ukraine said 230 enemy Shahed drones were brought down, as well as two ballistic missiles and four cruise missiles. Zelensky thanked Trump 11 times in less than five minutes during discussions, as Trump pledged to US security guarantees for Ukraine after the war.
Scottish Sun
5 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Football steward who was sacked for sending colleague rude Nicola Sturgeon meme wins £8k compensation
The tribunal heard that Mr Romano accidentally forwarded the images to his colleague, rather than a friend with the same first name A FOOTBALL steward who was sacked for sending a rude meme of Nicola Sturgeon and Russell Brand has won over £8,000 in compensation. Gennaro Romano worked for Norwich City when he sent two mocked-up images to a work colleague on WhatsApp, an employment tribunal was told. 2 Gennaro Romano was a senior steward and worked at Carrow Road stadium on match days Credit: Getty He claimed that he accidentally forwarded the images to the Championship club's academy boss, Neil Hunter, instead of a close friend called Neil Brooksby. However, he was fired from his role for gross misconduct after bosses at the club said the images could be seen as sexist, transphobic and racist, according to The Times. Mr Romano, who was 48 at the time, was sacked after 12 years of unblemished service and told he was "not fit" to work for the club. He has now successfully sued Norwich City for wrongful dismissal and won £8,299 in damages after an employment judge found the dismissal to be "not reasonable'. The tribunal heard that Mr Romano was a senior steward at the club and began working at Carrow Road stadium on match days in 2011, whilst also working with Royal Mail. Mr Romano, an Italian, was paid £24 for an afternoon of stewarding when he started and then worked his way up to section head, only missing two matches in 12 years. In September 2023, he was asked to attend an investigation meeting over two images he sent to Mr Hunter, the club's head of academy operations. One mocked-up image was of Ms Sturgeon and Brand, while the other was with Diane Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington. Both of which included rude messages. At the time, Mr Hunter said he received the images from Mr Romano out of the blue. Mr Romano was then asked if he remembered sending the WhatsApp messages to Mr Hunter at the investigation meeting. Nearly 100 Workers Sue Scots Window Firm After Sudden Factory Collapse The tribunal heard: "[Romano] didn't remember sending any such message. He was then shown a screenshot of two images received by [Hunter]. '[Romano] explained that he had received the messages on his phone from a friend. He hadn't meant to send the messages to Hunter or even realised that he had done so. '[Romano] had [Hunter's] number in his phone because he had spoken to him about helping with the drivers, but had never messaged or called him before mistakenly sending the messages in question.' Mr Romano was asked why he would send the images to a friend, and he said it was "banter". At the time, he told Norwich bosses: "Because it was funny. It is just what you do now, sharing messages. I am confused… This was a mistake. I meant to send it to my mate.' While they accepted that sending the images was a mistake, they dismissed his defence that it was "banter" and suggested that he should not send them even in his personal life, the tribunal found. Mr Romano said: "The images are what they are. I have been here a long time, and I have been judged on two pictures. 2 Mr Romano successfully sued Norwich City for wrongful dismissal Credit: Getty "I understand that they are wrong, no question, but that doesn't define me, those two pictures. "I will say it again, I am sorry. What I did was wrong. You can't say I'm sorry enough or I didn't understand the pictures enough.' Mr Romano was sacked for gross misconduct, however, Employment Judge Sarah Moore said the manner in which the decision to dismiss was reached was "riddled with unfairness". According to the Times, she said: 'In this case, we find that the sanction of dismissal was not within the range of reasonable responses open to [Norwich City FC]. "The decision-making process by which the decision to dismiss was reached was riddled with unfairness and it was not one which any reasonable employer would have taken.' Judge Moore added: 'It is accepted that [Romano] sent the messages to the member of the [club] by way of genuine mistake. "Further, there is no evidence that [Hunter] considered himself to have been harassed by having received the messages or was even offended by the messages.' Mr Romano's further claim of race discrimination was dismissed, and his application to get his job back failed. Norwich City FC have been contacted for comment by The Scottish Sun.
