GRAND JUNCTION, Colo (KKCO) Experts say even with the windows cracked open, interior temperatures can rise almost 20 degrees fahrenheit within the first 10 minutes. When the outside temperature is 93 degrees fahrenheit, the temperature inside a car can reach a deadly 125 degrees in just 20 minutes, and approximately 140 degrees fahrenheit in 40 minutes.

Anyone left inside is at risk for serious heat-related illnesses or even death.

"Fatalities occur every year in the United States from children being unattended in vehicles. These deaths are preventable, and there are things that parents and caregivers can do to avoid such tragedies. The number one thing is never, ever leave a child unattended in a vehicle," says Karen Martsolf, public information officer with the Mesa County Health Department.

Police say if you see a child unattended in a car, call 911. If you leave a child unattended in a car... you could face criminal charges.