A grandfather was hit with criminal charges after accidentally forgetting to take his 1-year-old granddaughter out of a rental car before returning the vehicle, cops said.

Hertz Car Rental employees at the Daytona Beach International Airport found the toddler in the back seat of the hot car Monday about 45 minutes after her grandfather, David Towner, returned it to the lot, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office said.

The young girl had been locked inside as outside temperatures in the lot reached 80 degrees Monday, police said. Police arrived to find her scared and with a warm face that was streaked with dried tears.

Fortunately, the toddler was found to be in good health and breathing normally.

Police had tried to call Towner after finding the girl, who is just under the age of 2, but were unable to reach him. The girl’s mother called 911 as she made her way to the rental company after she learned about her father’s mistake.

“I picked my dad up at the airport and he was dropping a rental car off and I – he said that he had my daughter at the house and he left my daughter in the rental car at Daytona International Airport,” the mother told the dispatcher, according to a recording obtained by WESH 2 News.

Towner, 62, had been babysitting his granddaughter during the day and had told his daughter he left the toddler at his home, not the airport lot, she told 911.

The dispatcher told the mother to relax because they were “pretty sure” the girl was safe and to abide by traffic laws.

“No, that’s not gonna happen. My baby is in the car,” the mother said.

After reviewing security footage and conducting interviews, police determined Towner had driven the girl to the lot and left her there. He was remorseful and cooperative with deputies, sources said.

Towner was charged with one count of child neglect and police notified the Department of Children and Families of the incident.

The Hertz employees involved in the incident will be honored with citizens awards by Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood, the department announced.