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.

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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.