A two-year-old girl died in a hot car outside her home after being left there for at least 30 minutes on a 42°C day.
Her father, Chris Scholtes, 37, told police he broke into the home in Marana, north of Tucson, Arizona, leaving the car running and the air conditioning on.
But she returned around 4 p.m. Tuesday to find the car had been turned off and her daughter Parker Scholtes was unresponsive, so she immediately called 911.
The girl was rushed to Banner University Medical Center in Tucson, where her mother, Erika Scholtes, 35, worked as an anesthesiologist.
Parker Scholtes, 2, died in a hot car in front of her home after she was left there for at least half an hour on a 109°F day.
Police were outside the home in Marana, north of Tucson, Arizona, on Tuesday night as they investigated the scene.
“CPR efforts were performed and the child was immediately taken to hospital. Sadly, the child was pronounced dead at the hospital,” police said.
Parker was born in late October 2021 and within weeks took his first trip to Disneyland with his parents and two older sisters.
Chris posted adorable photos of the little girl online, including one his wife took in February of this year, which shows him sleeping while cuddling with the little girl.
“This is what I call a father’s comfort,” the father, who also coached his daughter’s softball team, wrote alongside the photo.
Another photo showed a drawing she made with crayons, titled “artist in trouble,” and another with her dressed up.
“He is a menace to society, with his hat tilted to the side and his ferocious pitbull ready to attack,” Chris wrote.
Chris also shared cute videos of Parker dragging his teddy bear across the floor and helping him put wooden toy blocks into their box.
Parker in a family photo taken in March with his parents and two older sisters.
Erika Scholtes, 35, worked as an anesthesiologist at the same hospital where her daughter was rushed on Tuesday.
Erika and Chris took frequent vacations over the past year and posted about their adventures on social media.
They went skiing in Banff in February with their older daughters, and in March they took a beach vacation in Cancun with the whole family.
The couple also traveled to Europe in June, Seattle in October and Sedona in June of last year, just the two of them.
Marana Police Capt. Tim Brunenkant said many of the details surrounding Parker’s death were still being investigated, including whether it was an accident.
“We don’t know the circumstances, we’re trying to find out. When those temperatures come, especially this week when it will reach 43C, it will be just tragic,” he told reporters.
‘We’re doing the interviews and we’re trying to determine if this was a mistake. Is it an accident? Is that possible? We’ll have to determine that.’
Parker with his mother Erika and two sisters outside their Tucson home on Halloween, just yards from where he died.
Chris posted adorable photos of the little girl online, including one his wife took in February of this year of him sleeping while cuddling with the little one.
Erika and Chris took frequent vacations over the past year.
Brunenkant said it was unclear exactly how long Parker was in the car and how long it was since the car and air conditioning were turned off.
“All we know is that the car was hot. The child was not reacting, it was very hot and it is very tragic,” he said.
“She left the child in the car. The car was running and the air conditioning was on. We are trying to determine how long she was in the house and what time the car may have been turned off or the air conditioning stopped working.”
Brunenkant said at least one child died in a hot car every summer in the area, and it was a reminder to never leave a child alone in a car.
Chris and Erika began dating on October 19, 2012, according to a post Chris made on their 10th anniversary.
Chris returned around 4 p.m. Tuesday to find the car had been turned off and his daughter Parker Scholtes was unresponsive, so he immediately called 911.
Chris posted a photo of his wife in the operating room on International Women’s Day with a post celebrating her achievements.
Police said many of the details surrounding the girl’s death were still being investigated, including whether it was an accident.
“Ten wonderful years with this woman. Can’t wait for the rest!” he wrote.
He posted a photo of his wife in the operating room on International Women’s Day with a post celebrating her achievements.
“This woman is my hero, Erika Ines. She has been an amazing wife and an amazing mother to our family, as well as being a total badass at saving lives and making it all look easy,” she wrote.
“I don’t know where I’d be without her, but I wouldn’t be here. I love you babe, thank you for this wonderful life. There’s no one else I’d rather share it with.”
Chris studied biochemistry at Arizona State University, but it was unclear where he was now working.
He also frequently posted photos of high-performance cars and engines on his Facebook page.
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