CLEVELAND – Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley announced Kristel Candelario, 32, pleaded guilty to aggravated murder for the murder of her 16-month-old daughter, Jailyn Candelario, in June 2023.

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“This case is one of those truly unimaginable cases that will stick with me for many years to come. As prosecutors, it is our job to represent the victims and today we spoke on behalf of 16-month-old Jailyn — who is no longer with us — due to the selfish decisions her mother made. This conviction today, is the first step towards justice for Jailyn.”

Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley

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.

Kristel Candelario pleaded guilty to the following charges:

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

She will be sentenced at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center on March 18, 2024, at 9 a.m.