Dad charged after leaving 6 kids locked in van in Cook County apartment complex parking lot

COOK COUNTY, Ill. - A father has been charged after leaving his six children locked in a van in an apartment complex parking lot Monday afternoon. 

At about 12:20 p.m., Cook County Sheriff's Police responded to an apartment building in the 9000 block of Lincoln Drive in unincorporated Maine Township after they were notified of six young children being locked in a vehicle at the complex.

When officers arrived, they located the children, ages seven, six, five, four, three and 18-months-old locked inside a Dodge van, police said.

The windows of the vehicle were opened slightly, but the doors were locked, the sheriff's office said.

The children did not appear to be in distress, but they were visibly overheated. 

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Officers then canvassed the complex and located the children's father, who told officers that he worked for a cleaning service and left the vehicle to clean one of the residences at 11:30 a.m.

All six children were transported to a local hospital for evaluation.

The Illinois Department of Child and Family Services was notified and is evaluating placement for the children.

The father was charged with six counts of misdemeanor child endangerment and was released on his own recognizance.

He is scheduled to appear in court on June 22.