The father of a 2-year-old girl who died after being discovered comatose inside a hot vehicle in Arizona has been arrested in connection with her death.
According to the Marana Police Department, the child’s father, Christopher Scholtes, 37, was arrested and put into Pima County Adult Detention on Friday morning, July 12.
He is now facing accusations of second-degree murder and child abuse for what police call a “tragic event.”
Officers arrived at the family home shortly after 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 9, in response to a report of an unresponsive youngster left in a vehicle, police said. According to AZFamily, an Excessive Heat Warning was issued for the area that day, with temperatures topping 110 degrees.
During the original investigation, Scholtes informed investigators that he left his vehicle running and the air conditioning on while parked in the driveway to avoid awakening his daughter, who was still sleeping in her car seat.
Police claim that once he went inside, the toddler’s mother returned home shortly after and discovered their daughter motionless inside the vehicle, “which was no longer running, and the air conditioning was turned off.” The mother administered CPR to her daughter until emergency services arrived and took additional life-saving procedures. The toddler was taken to Banner University Medical Center, where she was confirmed dead.
After being granted a search warrant and acquiring video surveillance from surrounding households, detectives discovered that the toddler had been in the vehicle for around three hours, prompting Scholtes’ arrest, according to police.
According to PEOPLE, Since 1998, the National Safety Council has reported that over 960 children have died as a result of vehicular heatstroke.
“This tragedy serves as a harsh reminder of the hazards of keeping youngsters unsupervised in vehicles. “The temperature inside a vehicle can rise rapidly, even on relatively mild days, leading to potentially fatal outcomes within minutes,” the Marana Police Department warned in a statement.
“We urge all parents and caregivers to be vigilant and take every precaution to ensure their children’s safety,” the statement read. “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.”