(NationRise.com) – An Ohio mother named Kristel Candelario pleaded guilty on February 22 after leaving her 16-month-old daughter starving to death for over a week while she went to Puerto Rico. Police authorities said that the 32-year-old mother pleaded guilty to aggravated murder after abandoning her daughter Jaylan so she could spend a 10-day vacation on the Caribbean Island.
According to numerous reports, Candelario shared some pictures of herself on her Facebook account on the third day of her trip. In one of the photos, she can be seen lying on the beach and under the sun with a caption that says that the “true time lived” is the one that “is enjoyed.”
A couple of days later, the 32-year-old mother returned to her Cleveland home. As soon as she opened the door and entered her house, she found her daughter in her playpen unconscious and immediately called 911 to ask authorities for help. An affidavit detailed that Jaylan was “left to rot” in a pile that contained not only soiled blankets but also a bottom liner that was “saturated” with feces and urine. An autopsy eventually determined that the cause of death of Candelario’s infant daughter was dehydration and starvation.
The 32-year-old mother entered a guilty plea to the charges of child endangerment and aggravated murder as part of a plea deal that included the formal dismissal of a felonious assault count and two murder counts. In a statement, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley said that the case was one of the most “unimaginable” he has faced in his entire career, as it involved the death of a child because of a mother’s negligence. He also said that Candelario’s conviction was the first step authorities could take to bring “justice” for her 16-month-old daughter.
Some media outlets explained that while the 32-year-old mother entered a plea agreement, she’s currently facing life in prison. She will be formally sentenced on March 18th.
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