Woman Receives Life Sentence for Leaving Toddler Alone at Home

 Kristel Candelario, a 32 year old single mother, who on June 6 2023, left her sixteen month old daughter alone in their apartment for 10 days, was on Monday 18 March 2024, handed a life sentence without possibility of parole. According to prosecutors Kristel Candelario has left her daughter Jailyn, alone at their home in Cleveland from June 6 to June 16 2023. She had spent the ten days traveling to Detroit and Puerto Rico. Upon her return, Kristel had found her sixteen month old daughter unresponsive in a playpen soiled with urine and faeces. She thereafter dialled emergency services.

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Police arrived the home after Kristel's call and pronounced the toddler dead. Forensic pathologist Elizabeth Mooney determined that Jailyn died from starvation and severe dehydration due to paediatric neglect and ruled Jailyn’s death a homicide. On 22 February 2024, Ms. Candelario pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated murder and one count of endangering children. She has now been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of patrol for aggravated murder and eight to 12 years for endangering children. Speaking on her actions while in Court, Kristel stated: "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."