An Ohio woman who left her 16-month-old daughter alone for ten days while she went on vacation was sentenced to life in prison.
On June 6, 2023, Kristel Candelario left Jailyn Candelario, her 16-month-old daughter, alone and
unattended at her residence near Lorain Avenue and West 97th Street in Cleveland.
She did not return to her child until June 16, 2023, around 8 a.m.
Read: Judge Declares New Hampshire 5-Year-Old Dead Following Father’s Conviction
Upon returning, Candelario found Jailyn unresponsive and called the police. The Cleveland Division of Police (CPD) and the Cleveland Division of Fire responded to the scene, and Jailyn was pronounced deceased.
“Today, we remember Jailyn – a beautiful baby girl who was taken from this world due to her mother’s unimaginable selfishness,” said Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley. “The thought of going on vacation for 10
days and leaving your child to starve to death in her Pack-N-Play is a new low in parental care.”
“Each and every homicide that occurs in our city is significant, but when it involves a child, it is even more
devastating. One relief we have is knowing that members of our Division, particularly our homicide unit,
worked tirelessly to bring justice to Jailyn. We are committed to continuing our efforts to keep our
community safe and prevent such senseless acts from occurring in our city,” said the Cleveland Division of
Police Chief Dorothy Todd.
Read: Man Who Murdered 23-Month-Old Boy Charged And Arrested In Lakeland
An investigation conducted by CPD’s Homicide Unit revealed that Candelario left her child alone and unattended from June 6 to June 16 to vacation in Detroit, Michigan, and in Puerto Rico. Jailyn was extremely dehydrated at the time of death. Jailyn was discovered in a Pack-N-Play pen on a liner soiled with urine and feces with soiled blankets.
On February 22, 2024, Kristel Candelario pleaded guilty to the following charges:
- One count of Aggravated Murder
- One count of Endangering Children
She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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