CLEVELAND – Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley announced Kristel Candelario, 32, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of her 16-month-old daughter, Jailyn Candelario, in June 2023.

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“Today, we remember Jailyn – a beautiful baby girl who was taken from this world due to her mother’s unimaginable selfishness. The thought of going on vacation for 10 days and leaving your child to starve to death in her Pack-N-Play is a new low in parental care.”

Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley

“Each and every homicide that occurs in our city is significant, but when it involves a child, it is even more devastating. One relief we have is knowing that members of our Division, particularly our homicide unit, worked tirelessly to bring justice to Jailyn. We are committed to continuing our efforts to keep our community safe and prevent such senseless acts from occurring in our city.”

Cleveland Division of Police Chief Dorothy Todd

On June 6, 2023, Kristel Candelario left Jailyn Candelario, her 16-month-old daughter, alone and unattended at her residence near Lorain Avenue and West 97th Street in Cleveland. She did not return to her child until June 16, 2023, around 8 a.m. Upon returning, Candelario found Jailyn unresponsive and called the police. The Cleveland Division of Police (CPD) and the Cleveland Division of Fire responded to the scene and Jailyn was pronounced deceased.

An investigation conducted by CPD’s Homicide Unit revealed that Candelario left her child alone and unattended from June 6 to June 16 to vacation in Detroit, Michigan, and in Puerto Rico. Jailyn was extremely dehydrated at the time of death. Jailyn was discovered in a Pack-N-Play pen on a liner soiled with urine and feces with soiled blankets.

On February 22, 2024, Kristel Candelario pleaded guilty to the following charges:

  • One count of Aggravated Murder
  • One count of Endangering Children

She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.