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25th Jun 2023

Mum charged with murder after leaving toddler home alone to go on holiday

Kat O'Connor

A woman has been charged with murder after leaving her child home alone so she could go on a 10-day holiday.

Cleveland police confirmed Kristel Candelario left her 16-month-old daughter at home so she could travel to Michigan and Puerto Rico.

According to the New York Post, the 31-year-old mother was arrested on June 18th. Candelario returned home on June 16th to find her daughter Jailyn unresponsive. The infant was found at the family’s home on West 97th Street.

The young child was “extremely dehydrated” and her playpen was full of “soiled blankets”.

The mum confessed to leaving her daughter “at home, all alone and unattended” so she could go on holiday. Emergency services were called to the scene, but they pronounced the infant dead upon arrival.

Cleveland Police Department confirmed the child “had been left alone and unattended for approximately 10 days and had subsequently died”.

Police stated:

“On June 16, 2023, officers responded to 3129 West 97th Street for trouble unknown. On arrival, EMS was on the scene and a one-year-old girl had been pronounced deceased.

“Members of the Homicide Unit responded for investigation as per protocol on all child fatality incidents.

“No signs of trauma were observed. The child was conveyed to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office for further examination and investigation.”

“Further investigation revealed that the child had been left alone and unattended for approximately 10 days and had subsequently died. On June 17, 2023, the child’s mother, 31-year-old Kristel Candelario, was arrested and charged with Murder. This matter remains under investigation.”

Candelario is in police custody and is being held in Cuyahoga County Jail.

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