Arizona – An Arizona man has pIeaded guiIty to second-degree murder and intentionaI chiId abuse in connection with the death of his chiId. The plea deal, announced last week, was reached with the County Attorney’s Office, avoiding a potential Iife sentence or the death penaIty. The parent, 38-year-old C. SchoItes, is scheduled for sentencing next month and will report to custody on November 3.
The incident occurred in JuIy last year, when the man left his 2-year-oId chiId in a parked vehicIe with the AC running while he played on his consoIe inside. The vehicIe’s engine automatically shut off after 30 minutes, causing the interior temperature to rise to one hundred and nine degrees. After approximately three hours, the defendant’s spouse, child’s mom, discovered their child, Parrker, unresponsive in the vehicle. She attempted to administer CPR before emergency responders arrived, but the child was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators found that the defendant had been aware of the vehicle’s auto-shutoff feature and had previously left his other children unattended in the vehicIe. Court records revealed that the parent had searched for po-nography on his device during the time his chiId was left in the vehicle, though this evidence was not presented in court.
In the weeks leading up to the child’s death, the defendant’s wife, Erica, sent him messages expressing concern about his drinking, driving, and overall iIIegaI substance abuse. She told him she had repeatedly asked him to stop leaving the children in the car unattended and reminded him how many times she had warned him. She said he had not shown that he could stop putting the girls in danger or stop treating her badly. She noted that the previous day he had driven home drunk with two minors and that he drank to excess every time. She added that she had been asking him for three years to cut back and that the situation had actually gotten worse.
When she accused him of replacing c-caine with alcohol, he responded that at least the alcohol was legal and admitted to being an addict. Just over a week later, the woman texted him about driving 138 miles per hour with their child in the car and with alcohol in his system, highlighting the ongoing danger to their children.
Following the incident, the defendant was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and child abuse. He initially rejected a plea offer that would have resulted in a 10 to 25-year sentence. However, as his trial date approached, he accepted the current plea deal, which carries a sentence of 20 to 30 years in prison without the possibility of early release.
The case has drawn significant public attention, highlighting the dangers of leaving children unattended in vehicles and the potential consequences of such actions. The defendant’s sentencing will take place next month and he is expected to begin serving his sentence shortly thereafter.