Mother Sentenced To Life For Abandoning Toddler To Die While On A 10 Day Vacation

A 32-year-old mother has been sentenced to life imprisonment for abandoning her toddler at home, resulting in the child's death while she went on vacation last year.

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley declared on Monday that Kristel Candelario was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the June 2023 aggravated murder of her 16-month-old daughter, Jailyn Candelario. This followed Candelario's guilty plea in February to one count of aggravated murder and one count of endangering children.

Candelario, 32, embarked on her vacation on June 6, leaving little Jailyn unattended. Her travels took her to destinations in both Detroit and Puerto Rico, as disclosed by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office.

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Upon her arrival back home on June 16, she discovered Jailyn lifeless in a playpen soiled in urine and feces. She notified law enforcement, according to authorities, who declared the toddler dead at the scene.

Dr. Elizabeth Mooney, deputy Cuyahoga County medical examiner, testified in court on Monday that Jailyn succumbed to starvation and severe dehydration resulting from pediatric neglect. Her cause of death was classified as a homicide.

Dr. Mooney further elaborated that the child was severely dehydrated and malnourished, weighing only 13 pounds, a significant decrease of 7 pounds from her weight during her last medical examination less than two months earlier.

According to Dr. Mooney who performed the autopsy, Jailyn's death was described as "one of the most tragic and unfortunate cases I've had in my career thus far." She expressed that the child may have endured suffering for up to a week.

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"Today, we remember Jailyn — a beautiful baby girl who was taken from this world due to her mother's unimaginable selfishness. 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," O'Malley stated.

"Each and every homicide that occurs in our city is significant, but when it involves a child, it is even more devastating," Cleveland Division of Police Chief Dorothy Todd emphasized.