A father has been charged with child endangerment after he allegedly left his six kids inside a hot van while he went to work at an apartment complex in Maine Township Monday.
The man, whose name was not released, told police he works for a cleaning service and left the six children locked inside a Dodge van while he worked in an apartment in the 9000 block of Lincoln Drive, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office.
The children – ages 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 18 months – “did not appear to be in distress” but were “visibly overheated” when someone noticed them, police said. The windows of the van cracked open, police said.
Their father left them in the van around 11:30 a.m. and police responded to the apartment complex about 12:20 p.m., authorities said. The children were taken to a hospital for evaluation.
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services was notified and was “evaluating placement for the children,” police said.
Six counts of misdemeanor child endangerment were filed against the father, who was released from custody on a personal recognizance bond, police said.
His next court date was scheduled for June 22.
