ARIZONA MAN CHARGED WITH FIRST-DEGREE MURDER After Leaving Daughter to Die in Hot Car While Distracted by Video Games

A grand jury has increased the murder charge against the father who reportedly left his 2-year-old daughter to die in a sweltering car while binge-watching PlayStation.

According to Tucson ABC station KGUN, Christopher Scholtes, 37, is now charged with first-degree murder after being indicted on Thursday in Pima County, Arizona. He was previously charged with second-degree murder. As previously stated, he is also facing a charge of child abuse.

According to authorities, Scholtes arrived home and left the victim, his 2-year-old daughter Parker, in his vehicle. He stated that he did not want to wake her, so he left her there with the air conditioning on. Surveillance footage, however, did not match his narrative, police said. Police believe he arrived home at 12:53 p.m., while he claims he arrived about 2 p.m.

Erika Scholtes, the wife, got home from work at 4 p.m. Police claimed she arrived to find the vehicle had stopped running and the air conditioner had been turned off.

According to a video obtained by KVOA, she spoke on his behalf during his bond hearing, claiming that his death was an accident, but she did not represent him.

According to court filings, her communications suggested that he had previously left his children unsupervised in the car.

“I told you to stop leaving them in the car, how many times have I told you,” she texted him while Parker was on her way to the hospital.

Authorities claim they spoke with Scholtes’ two other kids, ages 5 and 9, who verified that he would frequently leave them alone in the car. According to Lawandcrime, Scholtes came home from conducting errands and then “he got distracted by playing his (video) game and putting his food away,” according to police.

Surveillance video did not show defendant Scholtes checking on the vehicle or his daughter.

“When she asked where the 2-year-old was, he began to check the rooms of the home and then realized he had left her in the vehicle,” they informed us.