Mother charged with leaving kids in hot car

August 2, 2007 (WLS) -- A 26-year-old woman was charged Thursday with leaving her two children in a car, with the windows rolled up and hot air blowing, while she went to the Cook County Criminal Courthouse on the South Side.

Tabathia Sherese Gonnigan, of 3201 S. 50th Ave. in Cicero, was charged with two counts each of reckless conduct and endangering the life of a child, according to a release from the Cook County Sheriff's office. The charges are misdemeanors, sheriff's office spokeswoman Penny Mateck said.

Shortly after noon, Cook County Sheriff's deputies were on foot patrol around the courthouse in a stepped up effort by the sheriff's office to help prevent heat-related injuries to children left behind in vehicles on hot, summer days, according to the release.

The National Weather Service was predicting temperatures to reach a high near 93 degrees on Thursday with heat index values going as high as 98, according to its Web site.

The deputies came upon a 1994 Ford Taurus containing an 8-year-old girl and an 18-month-old boy, who were "crying and sweating." The car was parked in direct sunlight in the 2700 block of California Boulevard, one street over from the Cook County Criminal Courthouse, and its windows were rolled up and hot air was blowing from the vents, the release said.

When discovered, the girl was sitting the front seat and the the toddler, wearing only a diaper, was out of his car seat and sitting in the front seat, where the keys had been left in the ignition, the release said. Authorities believe the children were inside the car for approximately 45 minutes, Mateck said.

Deputies arrested Gonnigan about 12:30 p.m. outside Division 5 of the Cook County Jail. She told deputies that she had gone to see a counselor regarding the release of an inmate's property, Mateck and the release said.

According to a release from the Chicago Fire Department, an ambulance transported the children to Mount Sinai Hospital in fair condition after they were found in "distress" inside the car. The sheriff's release said the children were treated and released.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has been notified, according to the sheriff's office.

Sun-Times News Group Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2006

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