An Ohio mother has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for the tragic death of her precious 16-month-old daughter, Jailyn.
Kristel Candelario, 32, left her toddler unattended at home in Cleveland for 10 days while she went on vacation to Puerto Rico last summer. Upon her return, she found baby Jailyn unresponsive and called the authorities, who pronounced the child dead at the scene.
Dr. Elizabeth Mooney, the deputy Cuyahoga County medical examiner, revealed that Jailyn died from starvation and severe dehydration due to neglect. The toddler was found in distressing conditions, weighing significantly less than during her last medical check-up. Candelario, who was arrested and charged on June 17, eventually pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and endangering children in connection with her daughter’s death. The prosecutor and judge both condemned her actions, describing them as a heartbreaking betrayal and a new low in parental care.
“Just as you didn’t let Jailyn out of her confinement, so too you should spend the rest of your life in a cell without freedom,” County Common Pleas Court Judge Brendan Sheehan told the disgraced mother . “The only difference will be, the prison will at least feed you and give you liquid that you denied her.”
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Despite struggling with mental health issues, Candelario who was terminated from her position as building substitute at Cleveland Elementary School Citizens Academy Glenville after her arrest last year, expressed deep remorse for her actions, acknowledging the pain caused by the loss of her daughter.
“There’s so much pain that I have in regards to the loss of my baby, Jailyn.” The former teacher said. “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 … God and my daughter have forgiven me.”