Kristel Candelario, a 31-year-old mother from Cleveland, Ohio, was taken into custody on June 18th and has been charged with murder concerning the death of her 16-month-old daughter, Jailyn.
On June 16th, Candelario came home to find her daughter unresponsive. She told police that she had traveled to Michigan and Puerto Rico while leaving her daughter alone at home for ten days. When she returned, it was discovered that the playpen that Jailyn was left in was filled with filthy blankets and was saturated with urine and feces.
A press release from the Cleveland Police Department said that no signs of trauma were observed. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office stated that Jailyn had died due to being left alone and unattended for ten days.
Neighbors told WKYC that they had taken care of Jailyn in the past and wished Candelario would have asked them to watch her instead. Candelario worked as a building substitute at Citizens Academy Glenville, an elementary school in Cleveland, since November 2022.
Upon hearing of the arrest, the school released a statement to the media. It announced that Candelario had been terminated from her position. Candelario is currently held in the Cuyahoga County Jail on a $1 million bond. It is unknown whether she has entered a plea or has obtained an attorney to represent her.