So, I'm being treated like a murderer. No, I just lost my face. Not at all. I know. We have determined that there's probable cause to go ahead and charge you for what happened. Okay. Let's come out here, Christopher. No, it's okay. No. Okay. It's a scorching July day in Morirana, Arizona, where one distracted dad's alleged gaming habit has just resulted in a very real tragedy. No. 911. What is the location of your 911? 911, please. What's the address? What's going on? My baby was in the car. She's not responsive. Okay, hold on. I'm going to try and see the medical dispatcher. Stay on the line. Oh my god. Oh my god. 911. What is the location of your emergency? Thank you, sir. Yes. Thank you. And what are you reporting? She was in the car sleeping. She's unresponsive. Okay. And who is she? Please, please, please. My daughter. My daughter. Please, please, please. And this was that in the driveway? Yes. Is she still breathing? No, she's not breathing right now. Okay, we need to start CPR right now. Yes, we are. We're starting CPR. Yes. Oh my god. Oh my god. And how old is she? Two. Two and a half. Oh my god. Okay. Is BPR going on right now? Yes. Yes. Yes. Okay. My god. My god. My god. Police and medics raced to the home after a father reported that his 2-year-old daughter was found unresponsive in a car on a 109°ree day. The AC was on. You guys all here for me? My phone. [Applause] Are you guys here for me? Make sure. Yeah. We We want to do everything we can to help out. That's That's why you have so many of us. All right. This is my worst nightmare. [Music] is going. Y1. [Music] I She's She's dead. Like, I need to be with her. Oh my god. My nose. [Music] Sir. Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. [Music] Northwest. Yeah, they're going to Banner right now. We're going to keep you updated with everything. Okay. We just need to stand by with you right now. All right. Is that your wife out there? Yes. Okay. We're going to make sure she gets down there. Okay. All right, we have officers escorting her down there. Police identify the man seen here as 37-year-old Christopher Schulties, a stay-at-home dad to three, who allegedly left the toddler in the car, parked in the driveway, and directly in the sun. Um, if we need to, we will drive her down there, and we'll make the same accommodations for you. All right, we'll keep you updated with everything they have. road. [Applause] Thank you. [Applause] Can we get you anything? What? [Applause] Yeah, babe. Okay. I can't believe this. This can't be happening. She wants me to try and get a ride to the hospital. Hey, we will we'll accommodate that for you. All right. Um, we're just going to need to get a statement from you about what happened, what's been going on. Obviously, I know this isn't easy for you, okay? It's not easy for anyone around right now. We're going to keep you updated with everything we hear. Do you want to sit down somewhere? Where would you be most comfortable? Sure. Like you want me to refill this for you? [Applause] Can I sit? Is that all right? That's fine. [Music] [Applause] An investigator gets the family's basic information before trying to figure out what exactly happened here. My daughters were at Elevate with uh my friend next door. They got home about uh 2:45 or so and then um we've just been hanging out at home. She was sleeping at the car and I had the car on. Um but it has a sensor where every 30 minutes or so it'll turn off if I haven't moved. Um, I swore she was in the house playing with her sisters like she always does. just been right now. I haven't been doing anything else really on the house and oh my god like we never do this anywhere but on the home, right? Like you're you're you're home. You're safe. You're like your kids are home. [Applause] Right. I'm I'm sorry this is all going on. We always park that car in the garage usually, but I just got a Pelaton recently and the Pelaton is in the garage now. So that's why it's not even in the garage. But And how long was she sleeping in the car out there? I want to say it was no more than 30 45 minutes. And I don't think the air was off that entire time. I think there was a time in between. I had checked on her last. It was still running. She was still sleeping. And then when I went back out, the car was off. Okay. Christopher tells investigators he intentionally left the child in the car to sleep with the AC on, but admits to being aware the car had an auto off function. Investigators would soon discover surveillance footage that allegedly showed the father of three arriving home just before 1:00 p.m., over an hour before he claimed to have gotten home. It would be 3 hours from the time Christopher allegedly parked his car until his wife arrived home and asked about the toddler's whereabouts. That's when the 2-year-old was finally found in the car. Authorities said they later spoke to Christopher's two other young kids, who allegedly told police he would regularly leave them alone in the car and thought he got distracted while quote playing his game. Ju just to let you know, I don't I don't want to feel like we're intruding, but we're going to have to stand by with you for a while. All right. Um, is there a reason why? So, any any death we have to treat like a crime scene? I I know this is extremely difficult for you. Um, this is a normal process that that we have to follow through with. I don't want you to be blindsided by anything, but that's that's what's going to be going on for right now. Okay. So, I'm being treated like a murderer. No, I just lost my baby. No, at all. I know that. And I know this isn't easy for you. That's that's why I'm trying to be straightforward and honest with you, okay? I don't want to keep any secrets. I don't want to hide anything for you. Someone's going to talk to you about what happened, though. All right. We will keep you updated with everything. My whole family, like my whole family is going to be ruined. [Music] shower. So, we we can't let you do that right now. We have to stand by with you. Okay. As soon as you can, we will let you know. You can stay in the room if you want, but I'm going to talk to you. I I know this isn't easy for you, but the quicker we get this done and finished up, the sooner you can be with your wife. All right. I'm trying I'm trying to rinse off so I can go into the hospital and be with my wife. We're not going to shower or anything right now. You need to stand by with us. I don't understand why. Okay. Please. I don't understand why. I I tried explaining that to you. We just need to stand by and I'm standing by. Why can't I take a shower while you stand by? What What is It's It's not necessary right now. I'm not going to stand here and watch you shower. There'll be time for that, but it's not right now. Okay. A search of Christopher's phone revealed a series of texts between him and his wife while she was in route to the hospital with one reading, "I told you to stop leaving them in the car. How many times have I told you?" Christopher is eventually allowed to rejoin his family, who received the tragic news that their daughter did not survive the ordeal. A detective catches up with him at the hospital to ask a few more questions in an off- camerara interview. Let's listen in. You understand your rights? Yes. Okay. Um, so I guess there's some specific questions I'd like to ask you about the incident. Are you willing to to answer my questions? Okay. So, going back, you get uh you get home, the girls get home. You said you checked on her in the vehicle. Um, and then you guys went in the house. What What were you thinking when you checked on her inside the vehicle? Just making sure that she was still sleeping. I mean, I was going to get her out, but if she was awake, but she was still sleeping. And again, I was waiting for the girls to come home, so I was kind of like coming in and out. Okay, you know, a screen door, so like the front door was open, but the screen door so I could see them, pull up kind of thing. Okay. Um, you know, I think I was just I put a load of laundry in, so I was like carrying laundry to the table and folding laundry and I figured the girls were going to, you know, want food when they got home or snacks or whatever. Like I was just I don't I was all over the place. Okay. And then had you done anything like this before where you just let her sleep in the car or anything like that? No, that's normally I mean I have the girls with me usually and the girls are always you know good about like dad get the baby, you know, like when we walk to one side together. Um but yeah, the only time it would ever happen would be like at home in the driveway kind of thing kind of like today. And the reason I'm like I'm not I'm asking this because I just I need to understand if this is something that you've normally done or if it was just kind of all that's just what's so like again I thought she was in the house playing with sisters and I I wasn't in the head space of like oh she's still in the car I got to go keep checking on her. Okay. So if no it wasn't like and the girls would have been home I think this wouldn't have happened either but the girls weren't there so I was kind of like you know just waiting on Okay. I don't know. I don't know. And to to the best of your recollection, the last time you checked on her is when the girls arrived arrived home. Yeah. And you said that was about 2:30. Mhm. Okay. Do you guys have any like ring cameras or door security cameras or anything like that? No. Okay. Did the girls recognize that she was in the car at that point or No, I don't. Okay. Just doing their doing their thing. Yeah. Okay. And so between 2:30 and then when came home, uh what were you doing? Uh working on laundry. Um the office was on TV. Uh was drinking a Dr. Pepper. Um done a little vacuuming on the rugs and stuff in the house. It was just like a a lounge around the house day. Christopher makes no mention of gaming, but authorities would later seize his PlayStation due to the ongoing investigation. You had mentioned before that the car um like auto shuts off. Mhm. Okay. Uh does does it tell you that it's doing that? Is there any kind of communication that you get or any kind of notice that you get from the car when it does that? Um I think it gives you like a check the rear seat message when the car turns off. Okay. But that's inside the vehicle. Yeah. Okay. So, no notice when you're out of the vehicle or anything like that. No app connected to it or anything like that? No. The only reason I even know that it does that is because I've been like sitting in, you know, parent pickup line at school for long enough that it'll just like shut off on you and you be like, "Oh, okay." So, I started again. I don't know why it does that. And you said that happens after how long? I think it's like 30 minutes. I never done a timer. Christopher again admits to being aware of the car's auto off function, even saying he's experienced it himself. Next, the detective asks about the moment he finally realized the child was not in the home. So, at that point, it didn't even dawn on you to think that she was still in the car or anything like that. And even when we asked the girls and they said that she was sleeping in the toy room, okay, or she was in the toy room. So, Okay. And then uh you said you checked the playroom or who checked the playroom? Yeah. Once asked then I started walking around and I'm like yeah where is she? Like it has been quiet. Okay. Check the playroom. Did you check anywhere else? the guest room and the girls room and our bedroom all the places that she would be. Okay. Laying down. Okay. And then after you check those areas and she's not there, um you said you went out and checked the vehicle. Mhm. Okay. What made you go out and check the vehicle? I don't know. Just process of elimination, I guess. Did you realize at that point as you were going out there to check on her that that she had accidentally been left in the vehicle? I think there was a little bit of panic starting. Yeah. Okay. Again, it's all all a blur at this point. Okay. And then but again, I I I mean, if she was in the car, it was with the AC on, so it's not like I was thinking anything was wrong. Okay. Did you did you believe the AC was still on when you started to go out there to check at that point or Yeah. Okay. And then when you get to the car, the car is is off obviously. Um what do you what do you see when you get in there? She's sleeping in her seat. really sweaty. You open up the vehicle, the warm inside the vehicle? Yeah. Okay. And then is she still buckled in? Yep. Okay. So, do you notice anything about her as as you pull her out? Um, really sweaty. Okay. She's eyes are closed. Okay. Any groans, noises, responses, anything like that? I thought I heard like some gurgles. Okay. And then you said at that point you you run her inside the inside the house. Do CPR. Okay. In your estimation now that we're past the event, from the time you you found her in the vehicle and then from when the girls arrived, how long uh do you think had passed? Sorry, say that again. So, from the time you went out and got her out of the vehicle uh to from the time that you and the girls went into the house after they arrived back home, how long uh time period do you think that was? I don't even want to give in a a number because I don't think it's right. I don't know. 45 minutes. Okay. 30 minutes. I don't know. When I'm doing stuff around the house, I'm kind of like, you know, dishes and laundry and kids and Okay. dog. We got three dogs. We got a cat. Like just kind of doing five things at once. So, okay. And again, just for confirmation, this not something that you've done before where you know the kids just been left in a vehicle while driving or anything like that? No. We're at home. What What would be the reason for me? Christopher tells the detective he was distracted with household chores, other kids, and pets, and says he's never left the children in the car before, but investigators aren't exactly buying his story. 3 days later, authorities decide they've got enough to arrest him. Let's see how that goes. Hey, Grace. Step out real quick, man. All right. Um, so remember how I talked Can we Can we do this maybe out here so the kiddos don't have to hear they're one is sleeping and one's next door? Um, so remember how we talked about the investigation and things that would transpire? Okay. And I told you I'm always going to tell you guys the truth. There's no there's no secrets here, right? So, based off of our investigation at this point, right, we have determined that there's probable cause to go ahead and charge you for what happened. Okay. Let's come out here, Christopher. No, it's okay. No. Okay. So, listen. Listen. Listen. Okay. This doesn't change what's happen. This doesn't change what what's going on. Okay. What happens at this point? It's simple. Okay. What happens at this point is you are going to be taken into custody. All right? And you will be booked and then after you are booked, you have an initial appearance with the judge within the first 24 hours. Okay? After the first 24 hours, right, the judge will determine bond and things like that as far as what happens next. At that point, the case goes to the courts. It'll be between you, it'll be between your attorneys, and it'll be between the county prosecutor. Okay. So, again, I can't change the the consequences of what happened. All right. But what I what I'm going to ask of you Okay. I just want you to stand right here. Come on, Chris. Let's Let's go over here. Can you grab him some shoes, please? They're right there. They're right there. Let me put shoes on. Can I just ask one thing, please? Yeah. Can you just Can you say bye to Argent? Okay, please. So, so, so, so listen to what I'm saying. I'm not resisting. Just relax. Just relax. I need you. I need you to listen. Just relax. We will get your shoes. Just relax. And And these are the options. Okay. The reason I'm here and meeting with you in person. Thank you. The reason I'm here meeting with you in person is because I don't want this to be anything more than what it needs to be at its base. But Those two were kind of I don't want the kids to be traumatized. I don't want the kids wait till after the funeral. I don't want the kids to see dad get hauled off. Am I going to be there for my baby's funeral? Dad's going to be between you and the court. Can I give him a kiss? Yeah. I love you. There you go. Chris, I'm going to be here and I'll take care of everything. I love you. Seriously. Okay. The funeral is crazy. No heart. No heart at all. Okay. You go with conversation. Yeah. So, I know there's a lot going on and I know you're angry and it's okay to be angry. Okay. As an arresting officer, I can't change the law. I know. But seriously, his daughter, he's suffering. I know the funeral. He knows. I I know. I know he's feeling the guilt. I know he's feeling angry. I can't change the law. Okay. Christopher was taken to jail and booked for seconddegree murder and child abuse. A grand jury would later upgrade his charge to firstdegree murder. At last check, the 37year-old rejected a plea deal and is expected to stand trial this fall.