Grandfather facing charges after toddler found in returned Hertz rental car
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A Florida man is facing charges after employees found a toddler left in the back seat of a vehicle that had been returned.
Employees working in a car rental lot at Daytona Beach International Airport found the toddler, who had been left in the vehicle when it was returned 45 minutes earlier, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Deputies said the child was “scared and hot, but thankfully in good health when checked by paramedics.”
The 2-year-old girl was determined to be in good health and returned to her mother.
Two employees found the child, and when deputies arrived at the car lot, one was holding the 2-year-old child, WFTV reported.
Deputies said in the news release that the vehicle had been returned at 5:13 p.m. At the time, the temperature in the unshaded parking lot was approximately 80 degrees.
The child’s mother called police after learning her father had left the toddler in the rental vehicle, and told investigators that her father had been babysitting the little girl for the day, WFTV reported.
The grandfather, identified as 62-year-old David Towner, was described as “remorseful and cooperative” by deputies, and was charged with one count of child neglect. He was released from the Volusia County Jail on a $2,500 bond, according to jail records.
After being examined, the child was returned to her mother.
