Woman left young children at home alone to attend Jerry Springer show

WHEATON, Ill. -- Shannon Cook was only an audience member at the taping of "The Jerry Springer Show," but what she allegedly did to attend sounds as if she were a featured guest.

A DuPage County judge has sentenced the Westmont woman to 30 days in jail for leaving her three young children at home unattended for a number of hours while she and her boyfriend attended the taping of the show.

Cook, 25, pleaded guilty earlier this week to misdemeanor child endangerment and was sentenced by Circuit Court Judge Daniel Guerin, who also placed her on probation for a year.

The two girls and one boy, the oldest of whom was a 3-year-old, were placed in foster homes by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services after the Oct. 19 incident.

Police said Cook left the children alone about 3:30 p.m. that day when she and her boyfriend left for Chicago to attend the taping. About five hours later, the two oldest left the family's apartment and began knocking on the door of a neighbor, who called police.

Cook was arrested when she returned home after midnight.

"I didn't think I'd be gone that long," a police report quoted Cook as saying. "I thought I would be back earlier."

Even though the guilty plea was to a misdemeanor, prosecutors said they were glad Guerin ordered jail time.

"It was an appropriate sentence, given what she did," said DuPage County Assistant State's Attorney Joseph Ruggiero. "Judge Guerin recognized the seriousness of the offense.