An Ohio mother has been accused in the death of her 16-month-old daughter, allegedly leaving her home alone for 10 days while she went on vacation, police say.
Kristel Candelario, a 31-year-old resident of Cleveland, was apprehended on June 18 and facing charged with murder, as per online court documents.
According to police reports - obtained and referenced by WKYC, ABC5, and NBC News - Candelario discovered her baby daughter, named Jailyn, unresponsive in their West 97th Street home on June 16.
Candelario allegedly confessed to authorities that she had left her toddler "at home, all alone and unattended," during her travels to Michigan and Puerto Rico. Upon her return, she reportedly found her daughter to be "extremely dehydrated," the affidavit reveals.
More on this tragic story in the report below:
Authorities also allege that Jailyn's playpen was packed with "soiled blankets and a bottom liner, saturated with urine and feces," as stated in the affidavit.
Emergency personnel pronounced the young girl dead at the scene, noting "no signs of trauma were observed," according to a press release from the Cleveland Police Department.
Further probing by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office divulged that "the child had been left alone and unattended for approximately 10 days and had subsequently died," as alleged in the press release.
The shocking news has resonated deeply within the local community, prompting neighbors to express their wish that Candelario had entrusted them with caring for the child rather than allegedly leaving her unattended.
A 13-year-old neighbor, in conversation with WKYC, said: "Jailyn really didn’t deserve what happened to her. She was amazing and really adorable, and I miss her a lot."
Candelario had been employed at Citizens Academy Glenville, a Cleveland elementary school, since November 2022. Following the charges, the school issued a statement announcing Candelario's termination from her position as a building substitute.
Currently, Candelario is being detained in the Cuyahoga County Jail, with her bond set at $1 million, according to online court records. It is yet unclear if she has entered a plea or appointed an attorney to represent her.
Our thoughts are with everybody impacted by Jailyn's tragic passing.
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