An Arizona father, facing first-degree murder charges in the hot-car death of his two-year-old daughter, has been granted court permission to vacation in Hawaii with his wife and two surviving children.
Pima County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Ortiz approved Christopher Scholtes’ request last month, allowing the family to travel to Maui from May 1 to May 9, 2025. Scholtes was charged in July 2024 after his daughter, Parker Scholtes, died from being left inside a scorching vehicle for hours while he allegedly played video games and put away groceries.
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Prosecutors say temperatures reached 109 degrees the day Parker died. Court documents reveal Scholtes had a history of leaving his children unattended in the car. Despite objections from prosecutors, Judge Ortiz wrote in her order: “The travel requested is approved.” However, Scholtes must remain in contact with pre-trial services and avoid unsupervised contact with his other children.
Pima County Attorney Laura Conover criticized the decision, telling Tucson’s KVOA: “Our prosecutors strenuously objected. The court granted permission over our objection.” Authorities allege Scholtes’ two older daughters, then 5 and 9, told investigators their father frequently left them alone in the car.
In Parker’s case, police say Scholtes arrived home around 12:53 p.m. but did not check on her until his wife returned at 4 p.m. and asked where she was. Security footage reportedly showed no attempt by Scholtes to check on Parker during that time, per KOLD.
Text messages between Scholtes and his wife, an anesthesiologist, reveal she had repeatedly warned him about leaving their children in the car. After Parker was found unresponsive, she texted: “I told you to stop leaving them in the car. How many times have I told you?” Scholtes replied, “Babe, I’m sorry.” She later wrote, “We have lost her, she was perfect,” to which he responded, “How could I do this? I killed our baby.”
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Scholtes claimed he left the SUV running with air conditioning, but police noted the vehicle had an auto-shutoff feature after 30 minutes. Parker’s mother performed CPR, but the child could not be revived.
Despite the allegations, Scholtes’ wife supported his release after Parker’s death, telling the court: “This was a big mistake… I just want the girls to see their father.” Scholtes rejected a plea deal last month that would have sentenced him to up to 25 years for second-degree murder. His trial is set for October 27, 2025.
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