Ohio Mom Kristel Candelario, who left her 16-month-old daughter alone in her Cleveland home for over a week and returned to find the child dead, has pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and child endangerment.
Kristel Candelario, a 32-year-old woman from Ohio, encountered legal issues following the tragic passing of her 16-month-old daughter, Jailyn Candelario.
Following the completion of her education, Kristel, who was born in Ecuador, moved to the United States.
In her professional endeavors, she served as a Spanish teacher at various educational institutions before taking on the responsibilities of a Family Resource Specialist at the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.
Having served as an instructional aide, Candelario’s recent employment includes positions at Hope Academy Northcoast and Citizens Academy Glenville since the fall of 2020.
Her professional life took a sorrowful turn after her arrest in February 2024, regarding her daughter’s death.
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Ohio Mom Kristel Candelario Pleads Guilty To Demise Of 16 Month-Old Daughter
Kristel Candelario left her 16-month-old daughter, Jailyn, at home in a playpen for ten days last summer while she went on holiday.
Officials stated that Candelario left her daughter at their Cleveland, Ohio home while she went on holiday to Detroit and Puerto Rico in June 2023.
When she returned 10 days later, she discovered her daughter unresponsive in the playpen and immediately dialed 999.
As per an incident report, The Cleveland Division of Police found Candelario’s daughter, Jailyn, unresponsive following a call on the morning of June 16, 2023, prompting them to visit the family’s home.
The emergency team discovered the little girl was “extremely dehydrated,” and tragically, she passed away shortly after their arrival.
Following a post-mortem examination carried out by the Cuyahoga County medical examiner’s office, it was determined that the toddler had died from starvation and severe dehydration.
Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley stated, “This case is one of those truly unimaginable cases that will be seared into my memory for many years to come.”
Prosecutors also revealed that the 16-month-old child was extremely dehydrated at the time of death. Moreover, the child was found in a Pack-N-Play pen on a liner contaminated with urine and feces, accompanied by soiled blankets.
According to neighbors, the little girl was often left alone, even though there were offers to babysit when the mother had to go out. An unnamed female neighbor described her as “wonderful; she was just a wonderful baby.”
On Thursday, February 29, 2024, she entered a guilty plea for aggravated murder and child endangerment charges.
Two murder charges and a felony assault charge against Candelario were dismissed as part of a deal with Cuyahoga County prosecutors. She may now be sentenced to spend the rest of her life in prison on March 18.
Due to the sentencing slated for next month, Candelario's lawyers, Derek Smith and Patrick Milligan, chose not to elaborate on the details. Milligan expressed, "Our client experienced a range of emotions today."
Candelario’s lawyers mentioned her mental health problems without providing more information. Before this incident, she had never been convicted of a serious crime.
Kristel Candelario Parents, Husband & Kids
There is limited information available regarding Kristel Candelario’s parents. However, according to her neighbors, she lived in Cleveland with her two daughters.
Online sources indicate that Kristel’s neighbors claimed Jailyn’s grandmother used to care for her. Kristel habitually left her child with her mother.
Kristel’s parents took her oldest daughter on vacation with them but left the younger one at home. It wasn’t the first time Kristel had left her child alone at home. During interviews, neighbors mentioned advising her against doing so.
Information about Kristel Candelario’s husband is not widely available. It remains unknown if she was married to her baby daddy or not.
Based on court records and media reports, Kristel Candelario left Jailyn at home and informed her husband, who was working out of town, that she was going to visit her sister in Detroit for a few days.
Instead of returning to her child, she flew to Puerto Rico for a vacation with another man. She did not check on Jailyn or arrange for anyone to care for her.
She neglected to answer her phone or respond to messages from her husband or her neighbors, who were anxious about the baby.
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