Woman Left Baby Alone During Vacation

Receives Life Sentence

A 32-year-old woman in the United States has been handed a life sentence after admitting to the murder of her 16-month-old daughter, who prosecutors say was left unsupervised for 10 days while her mother went on vacation. As reported by Fox News, the woman, named Kristel Candelario, entered a guilty plea last month for aggravated murder and endangering children charges. The judge described her actions as the "ultimate betrayal," leaving her daughter, Jailyn, without sustenance last summer while she traveled to Detroit and Puerto Rico.

County Common Pleas Court Judge Brendan Sheehan admonished the mother, stating, "As you didn't grant Jailyn release from her confinement, you shall likewise spend your life in a cell devoid of freedom. The only distinction is, the prison will offer nourishment and hydration, which you denied her."

Prosecutors stated that in June of last year, Candelario left her daughter "alone and unsupervised" at her Cleveland home and didn't return until 10 days later. "Upon her return, Candelario discovered Jailyn unresponsive and contacted the authorities. The Cleveland Division of Police and the Cleveland Division of Fire arrived at the scene, and Jailyn was pronounced deceased," the prosecutor's office announced in a statement, according to Fox News.

"The investigation conducted by CPD's Homicide Unit uncovered that Candelario left her child alone and unsupervised from June 6 to June 16 while she vacationed in Detroit, Michigan, and Puerto Rico. Jailyn was severely dehydrated at the time of her death," the office further stated.

The statement noted, "Jailyn was found in a Pack-N-Play pen on a liner contaminated with urine and feces, surrounded by soiled blankets."

The mother stated that she struggled with depression and other mental health issues. She said she prayed for forgiveness every day. She expressed deep pain over the loss of her daughter, Jailyn, and acknowledged her actions were wrong. She claimed that both God and her daughter had forgiven her.