Mom Who Left Baby Alone For 10-Days To Take Vacation To Puerto Rico Sentenced for Murder

On Monday, the 32-year-old mother was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of her 16-month-old daughter, Jailyn Candelario, in June 2023, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O'Malley announced in a press release.

This after Candelario, according to the AP, accepted a plea deal in February in which she pled guilty to the murder charge and one count of endangering children. In exchange, two additional murder counts and a felonious assault charge were dropped.

Candelario left her daughter "alone and unattended" in a Pack-N-Play playpen on June 6 and didn't return home until June 16, said prosecutors previously. After finding the child unresponsive when she returned home, she called 9-1-1; Jailyn was pronounced deceased at the scene. An autopsy revealed she died of starvation and severe dehydration.

County Common Pleas Court Judge Brendan Sheehan said Candelario committed the "ultimate betrayal" by leaving her child along during her sentencing hearing on Monday, per ABC.

"Just as you didn't let Jailyn out of her confinement, so too you should spend the rest of your life in a cell without freedom," Sheehan reportedly told her. "The only difference will be, the prison will at least feed you and give you liquid that you denied her."

Candelario, who allegedly struggled with depression and mental health issues, also addressed the court -- saying, "There's so much pain that I have in regards to the loss of my baby, Jailyn."

"I'm extremely hurt about everything that happened. I am not trying to justify my actions, but nobody knew how much I was suffering and what I was going through," she said, adding, "God and my daughter have forgiven me."

After the sentencing, Prosecutor Michael C. O'Malley released a statement reading, "Today, we remember Jailyn -- a beautiful baby girl who was taken from this world due to her mother's unimaginable selfishness. The thought of going on vacation for 10 days and leaving your child to starve to death in her Pack-N-Play is a new low in parental care."

Added Cleveland Division of Police Chief Dorothy Todd: "Each and every homicide that occurs in our city is significant, but when it involves a child, it is even more devastating. One relief we have is knowing that members of our Division, particularly our homicide unit, worked tirelessly to bring justice to Jailyn. We are committed to continuing our efforts to keep our community safe and prevent such senseless acts from occurring in our city."