A 32-year-old Cleveland mother who pleaded guilty to killing her 16-month-old daughter by leaving her alone in a Pack 'n Play pen while she went on a 10-day vacation last summer has been sentenced to life in prison.
The mother, Kristel A. Candelario, pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and endangering children on Feb. 22.
According to authorities, Candelario left her daughter Jailyn home alone on June 6, 2023, to go on vacation for a week in Detroit, Michigan and Puerto Rico.
After returning home in the 3100 block of West 97th Street on June 16, she contacted the police. When officers arrived, they found the child unresponsive in a playpen full of urine and feces-soaked blankets. The child was extremely dehydrated at the time of her death.
Candelario will not be eligible for parole.
“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,” Cleveland Division of Police Chief Dorothy Todd said.
Watch our previous report on the charges filed against Kristel Candelario:
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