Cleveland, Ohio – A mother in Ohio was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after her 16-month-old daughter died from starvation and dehydration when she left her alone at home to go on a 10-day vacation last summer.
Kristel Candelario, 32, pleaded guilty to the aggravated murder of her daughter, Jailyn, who was found dead in their Cleveland home when Candelario returned from her trip to Detroit and Puerto Rico. The toddler was left alone in a playpen and was extremely dehydrated at the time of her death. Medical examiners determined that Jailyn had died of starvation, weighing 13 pounds at the time of her death, about seven pounds less than her last doctor’s visit two months prior.
During the sentencing, County Common Pleas Court Judge Brendan Sheehan emphasized the severity of Candelario’s actions, stating that there were multiple opportunities for her to intervene and save her daughter’s life. He described Jailyn’s death as a horrifying ordeal, highlighting the lack of food, water, and protection the toddler faced in her final moments.
Candelario, who also has an older daughter, insisted that she had been suffering from depression and mental health issues, although she was deemed fit to stand trial. Her attorney, Derek Smith, acknowledged the lack of justification for her actions, labeling it as the “absolutely worst parenting imaginable.” He suggested that the treatment she received for her mental and physical problems prior to June had been inadequate.
In court, Candelario expressed remorse for her actions, stating that Jailyn’s death had caused her immense pain. Through a Spanish interpreter, she addressed the judge and the court, hoping for forgiveness from her parents and daughter. Despite the heartbreaking outcome, Candelario’s life sentence stands as a consequence for the tragedy that befell her young daughter.