CHICAGO, Aug. 3 (UPI) -- Chicago police have arrested a woman accused of leaving two young children alone in a hot car outside the city's Cook County Jail complex.
Police said Tabitha Sherese Gonnigan left the car containing her 8-year-old daughter and 18-month-old son in direct sunlight with the windows up Thursday outside the jail, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Friday.
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said police found the children while patrolling the parking lot under a new program designed to prevent parents from leaving children in cars on hot days.
Sheriff's police spokeswoman Penny Mateck said Gonnigan was charged with two counts each of reckless conduct and endangering the life of a child, the Chicago Tribune reported. Mateck said Gonnigan told police she was at the jail to inquire about the release of a prisoner's property.
Chicago Fire Department spokeswoman Eve Rodriguez said the children were treated for heat stress at Mount Sinai Hospital and released.
Gonnigan remained in custody Friday pending a bail hearing.
