A mother who left her toddler to starve to death while she went on vacation lied to the police, claiming that her 16-month-old child was "refusing to eat".
As previously reported, Kristel Candelario left her toddler, Jailyn, unattended last June while she went on a vacation to Detroit and Puerto Rico.
When Candelario returned to their Cleveland home, the 32-year-old found her daughter unresponsive and immediately contacted authorities. Tragically, emergency responders declared the toddler dead at the scene.
A press release from the Cuyahoga County prosecutor’s office described a heartbreaking scene, as Jailyn was found "in a Pack-N-Play pen on a liner soiled with urine and feces with soiled blankets."
An autopsy conducted by Dr. Elizabeth Mooney, the deputy Cuyahoga County medical examiner, revealed that the toddler had died from starvation and severe dehydration due to neglect.
The shocking details of Jailyn's condition emerged during the investigation. NBC News reported that the toddler weighed only "13 pounds, 7 pounds less than in her last doctor's visit less than two months before."
On March 18, Candelario was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole. This verdict followed her guilty plea to charges of aggravated murder and child endangerment as part of a plea deal with Cuyahoga County prosecutors.
In exchange, two murder counts and a felonious assault charge were dismissed.
When the police were initially investigating the 16-month-old's death, Candelario casually dismissed concerns, even lying to the authorities.
In the video footage, obtained by Law&Crime, Candelario falsely claimed that her daughter died while refusing to eat, stating: "She was with no food, just with the milk… she was refusing, maybe because she didn’t eat two days before."
When questioned about the events leading up to her daughter's death, Candelario continued to fabricate stories, claiming she had been taking a shower when she heard Jailyn suddenly scream.
These lies unfolded after the mother posted photos on social media showing herself smiling on the beach during her vacation while writing: "The time that is enjoyed is the true time lived."
Candelario expressed remorse in court, stating: "I’m extremely hurt about everything that happened. I am not trying to justify my actions, but nobody knew how much I was suffering and what I was going through."
Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley declared Candelario's actions as "selfishness" during the sentencing, emphasizing the tragedy of Jailyn's death. "Today, we remember Jailyn - a beautiful baby girl who was taken from this world due to her mother’s unimaginable selfishness," he said.
Judge Sheehan echoed these sentiments, describing the case as "one of the most horrible" he had ever seen. "It stunned people across this world, because it defies one of the basic human responsibilities," he remarked, calling it "the ultimate act of betrayal."
During sentencing, County Common Pleas Court Judge Brendan Sheehan condemned Candelario's actions, stating: "You committed the ultimate betrayal."
He added: "Just as you didn’t let Jailyn out of her confinement, so too you should spend the rest of your life in a cell without freedom."
