CLEVELAND — A Cuyahoga County grand jury has returned a six-count indictment against Kristel Candelario, the Cleveland woman accused of leaving her 16-month-old daughter to die while going on vacation for more than a week.
Candelario, 20, is now facing one charge of aggravated murder and two charges of murder, along with lesser charges of felonious assault and endangering children. In the indictment, prosecutors reserved the right to potentially seek the death penalty.
Candelario's daughter Jailyn was pronounced dead inside their West 97th Street home back on June 16, and while the county medical examiner has not yet determined an exact cause of death, police say the child was "extremely dehydrated" and was found inside a play pin soiled with urine and feces. Authorities claim Kristel Candelario eventually admitted to going to Detroit and Puerto Rico for 10 days, without getting anyone to look after Jailyn.
"It is unfathomable that a mother would leave her 16-month-old child alone without any supervision for 10 days to go on a vacation," Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O'Malley. "As parents, we are supposed to protect and care for our children. Imagining this child's suffering, during her last days of life alone, is truly horrifying and we will do everything in our power to seek justice on her behalf."
Neighbors have since told 3News Candelario would frequently ask them to watch Jailyn, at one point leaving the toddler with then for more than a month. While they were frustrated with the situation, following the news of Jailyn's death, they expressed sorrow that her mother didn't reach out again.
"Jailyn really didn’t deserve what happened to her," 13-year-old Suleym, who said she loved Jailyn like a sister, said. "She was amazing and really adorable and I miss her a lot."
Following her arrest, Candelario was originally arraigned in Cleveland Municipal Court, and is currently being held in the county jail on $1 million bond. She will appear again in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court at a to-be-determined date.