Mother leaving toddler alone for 10-day vacation sentenced to life - the tragic tale of Jailyn

SHAH ALAM - Heading for a 10-day vacation while abandoning her own child resulted in Kristel Candelario being sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday for the aggravated murder of her 16-month-old daughter, Jailyn.

The tragic sequence of events unfolded when Candelario, 32, left her daughter alone at home in a playpen with a few bottles of milk while she embarked on her vacation, partying hundreds of miles away in Puerto Rico and Detroit.

During her absence, the cries of Jailyn pierced the stillness of the night, captured by a neighbour's doorbell camera.

Despite the relentless wails, no one came to the toddler's rescue.

It was only upon Candelario's return that she discovered her daughter's lifeless body, having endured days of neglect, starvation, and extreme thirst.

The toddler suffered from severe dehydration.

During the sentencing hearing, forensic pathologist Elizabeth Mooney described the harrowing ordeal Jailyn endured.

Mooney revealed that the toddler suffered from severe dehydration and emaciation, indicating prolonged agony lasting possibly up to a week.

The abandonment, coupled with the physical torment of hunger and thirst, painted a grim picture of the child's final days.

Law enforcement officials described the case as one of the most horrific they've encountered in their careers.

Prosecutors presented damning evidence, including security footage of Candelario leaving for her vacation and returning to find Jailyn near death.

The contrast between the carefree demeanour of Candelario and the dire condition of her child was stark and haunting.

Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Anna Faraglia played a 911 call made by Candelario upon her return, pleading for help as she claimed her daughter was dying.

“Please, I need help,” she wailed in a 911 call played during the sentencing. “Please, please, help me. My daughter is dying.”

Faraglia said Jailyn was found lying on a mattress covered in urine and feces. “Animals take care of their infants better,” she said.

The girl was emaciated, with sunken eyes, dry lips, and fecal matter in her mouth and fingernails.

She weighed seven pounds less than she had at her last doctor’s visit two months earlier, Mooney said.

Investigators said Candelario had left Jailyn alone for two days just before she went on vacation.

During the proceedings, Candelario's parents attributed her actions to mental health struggles, pleading for leniency from the court.

Candelario herself expressed remorse, stating that she prays for forgiveness daily.

However, Judge Brendan Sheehan delivered a scathing rebuke, condemning Candelario's betrayal of the sacred bond between mother and child.

In his final ruling, Judge Sheehan sentenced Candelario to life in prison without the possibility of parole, emphasising the gravity of her actions and the irreparable harm inflicted upon Jailyn.

"The only difference is that prison will at least feed you," he said, highlighting the stark contrast between Candelario's freedom and her daughter's tragic fate.

The case of Jailyn's untimely death serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of neglect and the importance of protecting the most vulnerable members of society.

As the community grapples with the aftermath of this tragedy, justice has been served, but the scars left behind will endure for a lifetime.