Ohio
Ohio mom pleads guilty to murder after leaving baby at home while she went on vacation
An Ohio mother who left her 16-month-old daughter in her Cleveland home alone for over a week and then returned to find the child dead has pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and child endangerment, court records show.
Kristel Candelario, 32, now faces the possibility of a life sentence. As part of the plea, Cuyahoga County prosecutors dismissed two murder counts and a felonious assault charge.
USA TODAY attempted to contact Candelario’s attorneys but did not receive an immediate response.
The Cleveland Division of Police found Candelario’s daughter, Jailyn, unresponsive after receiving a call on the morning of June 16, 2023, to go to the family’s home, according to an incident report. Medics pronounced Jailyn dead at the scene.
Pennsylvania mother charged: Police say she moved with her boyfriend, left child with no heat, water
Where did Candelario go?
Candelario left her child to travel to Detroit and Puerto Rico, according to a Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office news release from Thursday.
Jailyn’s Pack-N-Play pen’s liner was soiled with urine and feces and soiled blankets, the county’s release said.
Police determined that Jailyn did not have signs of physical trauma, according to the incident report. Investigators did say the toddler was left alone and unattended for around 10 days.
How did Jailyn die?
When emergency responders discovered Jailyn, they found her “extremely dehydrated,” according to the county’s new release. An autopsy done by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that Jailyn died of starvation and severe dehydration, KDKA News reported.
“This case is one of those truly unimaginable cases that will stick with me for many years to come,” Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley said in the county’s news release. “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.”
Candelario is scheduled to be sentenced March 18 at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center, court records show.
TEMPE, AZ – JANUARY 02: Head coach Jim Tressel of the Ohio State Buckeyes holds the football from the trophy after the Buckeyes defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Tostito’s Fiesta Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium on January 2, 2006 in Tempe, Arizona. The Buckeyes defeated the Fighting Irish 34-20. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
The Ohio Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 22, 2026, results for each game:
Powerball
Powerball drawings are held Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m.
17-19-21-45-48, Powerball: 13, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.
Midday: 3-0-7
Evening: 1-5-2
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.
Midday: 8-8-0-9
Evening: 8-4-4-7
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 5
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at 12:29 p.m. and 7:29 p.m., except Saturday evening.
Midday: 9-0-3-1-2
Evening: 7-9-6-0-7
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Rolling Cash 5
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 7:05 p.m.
10-16-19-23-35
Check Rolling Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Classic Lotto
Drawings are held Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, at approximately 7:05 p.m.
13-16-28-35-41-44, Kicker: 7-6-2-8-1-3
Check Classic Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.
Millionaire for Life
Drawings are held daily, seven days a week, at approximately 11:15 p.m.
07-08-20-24-42, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Enquirer digital news director. You can send feedback using this form.
Meta data centers in New Albany to be among world’s largest
Meta data centers in New Albany to be among world’s largest
Ohioans won’t be voting on whether to ban data centers on the November ballot.
Conserve Ohio, the group working to block most data centers, announced that it would not submit the more than 413,000 signatures needed to make the fall ballot by the July 1 deadline.
But the data center opponents aren’t giving up on a constitutional amendment. They are now targeting the 2027 ballot.
“We want to make it clear: we will not be stopping. Construction won’t be stopping, so signature gathering and community action will not be stopping,” according to a Conserve Ohio statement.
The group’s decision comes after Ohio lawmakers failed to pass legislation to rein in data centers before a months-long break. Lawmakers disagreed on whether to reduce tax breaks for data centers or eliminate them entirely.
The debate over data centers in Ohio has created strange political bedfellows. Environmentalists and rural voters often oppose them, while business groups and labor unions are backing them.
State government reporter Jessie Balmert can be reached at jbalmert@gannett.com or @jbalmert on X.
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