A Cleveland, Ohio mother pleaded guilty to aggravated murder Thursday after leaving her then 16-month-old daughter for over a week while she went on vacation, prosecutors confirm.
Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley released a press statement issuing the charges on Ohio mother Kristel Candelario, 32, with one count of aggravated murder and another count for endangering children. O’Malley slammed the mother for her “selfish decisions” and stated that the conviction is the “first step towards justice.” (RELATED: Social Media Star Sobs Uncontrollably After Being Sentenced To 60 Years For Child Abuse)
“This case is one of those truly unimaginable cases that will stick with me for many years to come. As prosecutors, it is our job to represent the victims and today we spoke on behalf of 16-month-old Jailyn — who is no longer with us — due to the selfish decisions her mother made. This conviction today, is the first step towards justice for Jailyn,” O’Malley wrote.
Kristel Candelario Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Murder Charge for Leaving Her 16-Month-Old Daughter Alone and Unattended for More Than a Week While on Vacation
Press release: https://t.co/A7a77bWzjn@CLEpolice pic.twitter.com/feSmnyUIUF
— Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office (@CuyahogaProsOf) February 22, 2024
Authorities responded to a call on June 16, 2023 made by Candelario who had found her daughter, Jailyn, unresponsive after she had left the 16-month-old “alone and unattended” on June 6, 2023, according to the prosecutor’s press release. Jailyn was pronounced dead on the scene after the arrival of both Cleveland Division of Police (CPD) and Cleveland Division of Fire. She was discovered in a “Pack-N-Play pen” that was “soiled with urine and feces.”
While away from the child, Candelario had vacationed in Detroit, Michigan as well as Puerto Rico for roughly 10 days before returning home, NBC News reported. The press release stated that along with the dirty area where Jailyn was, she had been “extremely dehydrated.” An autopsy conducted by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the 16-month-old had died of starvation and dehydration, according to CBS News.
Prosecutors made a plea deal with Candelario by dismissing two murder charges and a felony-level charge of assault in order to have her plead guilty to the two counts agreed upon, the outlet reported. The Ohio mother reportedly still faces a sentence to life in prison and is scheduled to appear in court on March 18.