A Queens mother has been arrested and is accused of leaving three children unattended in a car outside the Green Acres Mall.

Police say Ciara Stockwell, 28, is now facing three counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

According to police, a witness called 911 after seeing three children, a 9-year-old boy, a 4-year-old boy and a 1-year-girl waiting, in a running car with the windows opened halfway.

No adult was in sight.

Police say an ambulance responded to the scene to evaluate the children. They all ended up being OK and placed in the car of a family member.

Parents tell News 12 they were outraged about the incident.

"But why take them to leave them?," says Shamar Elphie. "Why take them with you just to leave them in the car?"

Dr. Leonard Krilov, chairman of pediatrics at NYU Langone Hospital, says heat can generate very quickly in a car even when the windows are cracked.

"A crack will have a small impact on decreasing the temperature, so it is not the solution," Krilov says.

The doctor says even when it is not hot outside, there is a risk of heat stroke if someone is left in the car. He says temperatures go up 40 degrees an hour so even temperatures in the 70s could be a problem.