Cleveland mother pleads guilty to murder after abandoning child: A harrowing miscarriage of care

At 32-years-old, Kristel Candelario could face life imprisonment. The verdict will be delivered on 18 March in a Cleveland court. Last week, she confessed that her actions constituted a crime against her child.

This senseless incident occurred last summer. As the "People" newspaper reported, the mother departed from her Ohio residence, travelling to Detroit and Puerto Rico.

Her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter Jailyn was left alone at home. When the mother finally returned to the apartment on 16 June 2023, after an absence of 10 days, she found the child dead in a filthy crib.

The prosecution has asserted that the 16-month-old child was severely dehydrated at the time of death. She was discovered amidst dirty blankets. An autopsy carried out by Cuyahoga County Coroner's Office found the cause of death to be both starvation and dehydration.

Candelario was charged with murder. She also acknowledged the fact that she subjected her child to severe risk. Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley expressed that this case is exceptionally shocking and likely to stay in people's memories for a long time.

"As prosecutors, we stand for victims. Today, we spoke on behalf of 16-month-old Jailyn, who is no longer with us because of the selfish choices made by her mother. This is the first step towards justice for Jailyn" - O'Malley stated.