The hot thing to do this summer seems to be leaving your children and dogs locked in broiling cars.

After a rash of people allegedly neglected their kids and pets while they ran errands at various Joliet businesses late last week, the cops charged even more people with doing the same thing.

On Saturday about 1:15 p.m., police said, an officer saw two small dogs in a white Toyota parked outside the PetSmart on Plainfield Road.

When the driver of the Toyota—Jessica Farcia, 32, of 611 Grant Ave.—came out of the PetSmart, she was cited for cruelty to an animal.

Only a day earlier, Cheryl Fronczak, 30, of 21315 Prestwick Court in Crest Hill, was charged with confining animals in a motor vehicle for allegedly leaving a pair of Chihuahuas in a Pontiac Bonneville parked outside the very same PetSmart.

Joliet Police Chief Mike Trafton pointed out that, while it is illegal to leave animals locked in parked cars, customers are in fact allowed to take dogs, and other pets, into PetSmart.

Then on Tuesday, passersby noticed a young child sleeping in a car parked outside the T-Mobile on West Jefferson Street about 4:30 p.m.

They knocked on the car's windows but the little girl didn't wake up, police said. One of them then realized a back door was unlocked, opened it and took the child out. The passersby also called the police.

The girls mother, 25-year-old Antwanette Wright of 1520 Nicholson St., emerged from the T-Mobile store just before officers arrived, police said.

Wright reportedly threatened the person who opened her car door, and when the cops got there was verbally abusive to them too.

Wright told officers she spent only "a minute" in the store while her daughter was sleeping outside, police said, but witnesses said the child was on her own for nearly half and hour.

Officers reportedly checked with T-Mobile store staff, and they said Wright was in the business for more than 15 minutes.

Much like with dogs at PetSmart, T-Mobile allows customers to bring their children into the establishment.