In a tragic incident, a 37-year-old man from Marana, Arizona has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder and child abuse after allegedly leaving his 2-year-old daughter inside a sweltering car during a 109-degree heatwave. Christopher Scholtes was identified as the suspect in the Tuesday death of his toddler, who was found unresponsive inside a car parked in the driveway of their home, approximately 22 miles northwest of Tucson.

According to the Marana Police Department, detectives obtained a search warrant for surveillance footage from a neighbor, which revealed that the girl had been inside the car for three hours. The police were called to the scene after the child's mother arrived home just after 4 p.m. and discovered her daughter unconscious inside a car with no air conditioner running.

The mother immediately performed CPR while waiting for first responders to arrive. Despite their efforts to save the child's life, she was pronounced dead at the hospital. Scholtes allegedly informed the police that he had arrived home with his daughter asleep in the car seat. In an attempt not to disturb her, he admitted to leaving her inside the running car with the air conditioning on while he went indoors.

Marana Police Captain Tim Brunenkant stated that their investigation aimed to determine when the car and air conditioning had turned off during the incident. Following his arrest, Scholtes is currently being held at the Pima County Adult Detention Center.

The Marana Police Department issued a statement emphasizing the danger of leaving children unattended in vehicles, especially during extreme temperatures. The statement mentioned that temperatures inside a vehicle can rise rapidly, leading to potentially fatal outcomes within minutes.

Tuesday's heatwave, during which temperatures reached a record-setting high of 111 degrees, serves as a stark reminder of the dangers involved. According to ABC15, it only takes approximately 20 minutes for a car to heat up to 140 degrees and 40 minutes to reach a scorching 150 degrees.

At present, the name of Scholtes' lawyer is not known. The Marana Police Department expressed condolences and offered thoughts and prayers to everyone affected by this tragic incident.

As the investigation continues, the community has been reminded to be vigilant and cautious when it comes to the safety of children, particularly in extreme weather conditions.