TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A Pima County judge recently granted permission for Christopher Scholtes, the Marana father accused of leaving his two-year-old daughter in a hot car in July of 2024, to leave the state for a family vacation in Maui.
Scholtes is awaiting a first-degree murder trial currently scheduled for October 2025, for the death of his daughter who passed away on July 9, 2024.
Despite prosecutors' objections, Pima County Judge Kimberly Ortiz approved Scholtes' request to travel to Maui on a family vacation with his wife and two children for 10 days.
As part of the conditions of his travel, Scholtes was ordered no have no unsupervised contact with children. He was further ordered to contact Pretrial Services before and during his trip, as well as upon his return.
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Court documents obtained by KGUN 9 showed the child had been in the family's SUV for three hours in triple-digit temperatures while Scholtes was inside the home playing video games. Scholtes' wife reportedly called 911 upon arriving home and discovering the girl in the car.
Back in March, Scholtes rejected a plea of second-degree murder, which would have carried a sentence between 10 to 24 years.
If convicted of first-degree murder, Scholtes could face a life sentence.
