An Arizona dad accused of murdering his 2-year-old daughter after she died in a hot car parked in their driveway has agreed to a plea deal.
Christopher Scholtes, 38, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and deliberate child abuse likely to result in death or serious bodily injury.
Scholtes’ decision, made just days before his trial was scheduled to begin, surprised him because he had previously accepted a similar plea arrangement offered by prosecutors – one that would simply require him to plead guilty to the murder charge.
His decision to turn down the initial offer came at a high cost, as he would have faced 10 to 25 years in prison if he had accepted the agreement at the time.
According to a statement from the Pima County Attorney’s Office, Scholtes will face 20 to 30 years in jail under the conditions of the agreement, with no option of early release.
Scholtes might have received life in jail or the death penalty if he had gone to trial.
The father of three was arrested on July 9, 2024, after leaving his youngest child in the car while he sat inside playing video games, according to several court documents previously filed in the case and reviewed by PEOPLE.
Scholtes also allegedly searched for pornography on his PlayStation at the time, but the judge in the case ruled earlier this month that this information could not be used at trial.
His wife discovered the child when she returned home that day, about three hours after Scholtes returned from running errands with the toddler.
The criminal complaint stated that the temperature inside the vehicle that afternoon was 109 degrees Fahrenheit.
Body camera footage captured Scholtes admitting to leaving his daughter in the car while speaking with Marana Police Department officers who arrived on the scene.
Scholtes informed the officers that he left his daughter in the car with the air conditioning on because she was sleeping in her car seat, then walked inside the family home.
He then claimed that he forgot about his kid because he was distracted, according to the lawsuit.
According to the complaint, Scholtes stated that he was aware that his vehicle’s engine turned off after 30 minutes, resulting in no air conditioning.
Investigators later interrogated the two surviving children, who were 6 and 9 at the time, and both allegedly stated that their father had previously left them alone in the car, according to the complaint.
A text purportedly received to Scholtes by his wife while their daughter was being brought to the hospital appears to back up those claims, as she texted: “I told you to stop leaving them in the car, how many times have I told you?”
Scholtes was released on bond and told not to spend any time with children unaccompanied, but he was later granted permission to fly to Hawaii with his wife and two surviving daughters prior to his trial.
Scholtes’ sentencing date has been scheduled for November 21, although he must surrender three weeks earlier, on November 3.
His lawyer did not return a request for comment.
