PHOENIX, AZ (LOOTPRESS) – A Valley man facing first-degree murder and child abuse charges in the death of his 2-year-old daughter has been granted permission to travel to Hawaii for a family vacation — a decision stirring widespread backlash.
Christopher Scholtes, who is accused of leaving his toddler in a sweltering vehicle in July 2024, received court approval to visit Maui from May 2 to May 9 with his wife and two other daughters. Conditions of the trip include mandatory check-ins with Pretrial Services when leaving and re-entering Arizona, as well as while in Hawaii. Scholtes is also prohibited from having unsupervised contact with children.
Court documents allege that on the day of the incident, temperatures soared to 109°F, and Scholtes knowingly left his 2-year-old daughter in a parked vehicle under direct sunlight. The child’s car seat was positioned on the driver’s side, facing a west-facing window — maximizing sun exposure.
Investigators say Scholtes told police he left the air conditioning running while he stepped inside his home, believing his daughter was safely asleep in the back seat. But by the time he returned, the car had shut off — and his daughter was unresponsive. Surveillance footage and digital evidence reportedly show Scholtes spent nearly three hours inside playing video games.
He later admitted to knowing about the vehicle’s automatic shut-off function.
Despite being offered a plea deal that would have carried a 10-to-25-year sentence, Scholtes rejected it, opting to take his case to trial in October — where a conviction could result in life in prison.
As the case draws national attention, critics have voiced concerns over the court’s decision to allow a murder defendant out-of-state travel for leisure while awaiting trial in a child’s death.
