Cleveland mother pleads guilty to causing toddler's death by abandonment on 10‑day vacation

Now aged 32, Kristel Candelario is at risk of spending her remaining lifetime in prison. The sentence is set to be handed down on March 18th in a Cleveland-based court. Last week, Candelario confessed to committing a crime against her own child.

The harrowing incident took place in the summer of last year. As reported by "People" newspaper, the mother deserted her Ohio home and traveled to Detroit, followed by Puerto Rico.

The toddler, Jailyn, aged one-and-a-half, was left home alone. Upon Candelario's return to the apartment on June 16, 2023, after ten days away, she found her child deceased in a soiled crib.

The prosecution stressed that the 16-month-old child was extremely dehydrated at the time of death and was found amidst filthy blankets. An autopsy performed by the Cuyahoga County coroner's office revealed the tragic cause of death to be starvation and severe dehydration.

Candelario was charged with murder and further confessed to subjecting her child to extreme risk. Cuyahoga County Prosecutor, Michael O'Malley, noted this case as one that is truly unimaginable and one that would linger in memory for a long time.

"As prosecutors, we represent the victims. Today, we spoke in defense of 16-month-old Jailyn. Her life was cut short due to the selfish actions of her mother. This represents the first step towards justice for Jailyn." - Michael O'Malley stated.