Deadbeat dad who left daughter to die in hot car killed himself in haunting echo of his crime

The Arizona dad who killed himself to dodge decades in prison for leaving his baby daughter to die in a hot car took his life with a haunting echo of his heinous crime — suffocating himself in a car parked at his home.

Christopher Scholtes, 38, was found dead in his car in the garage of the Phoenix home he shares with his wife, Dr. Erika Scholtes, around 5 a.m. on Nov. 5, hours after he is believed to have killed himself the night before.

Exactly how he died has yet to be confirmed, but he is believed to have died of carbon monoxide poisoning, the Maricopa County Medical Examiner told the Daily Mail.

Scholtes’ death is shockingly similar to how his daughter, little 2-year-old Parker, slowly baked to death in his car after he left her in their driveway for more than three hours on a hot summer day in 2024.

The deadbeat dad had been inside the house watching porn, drinking beer and playing video games at the time of her death.

Scholtes pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in October and was expected to spend up to 30 years in prison.

His prison term was due to begin on Nov. 5 — but he killed himself the day before, dodging justice over the tot’s death.

“This little girl’s voice was nearly silenced because justice was not served appropriately this morning,” Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said in a statement after his death.

Scholtes left behind a wife and three other daughters.