Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder

CLEVELAND (AP) — An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole. Thirty-two-year-old Kristel Candelario had pleaded guilty last month to aggravated murder and child endangerment. Authorities say Candelario left her daughter, Jailyn, in their Cleveland home when she went on vacation to Detroit and Puerto Rico in June 2023. When she returned 10 days later, she found the girl wasn’t breathing in the playpen. Judge Brendan Sheehan told Candelario she committed what she called “the ultimate betrayal.” Candelario said she has struggled with depression and related mental health issues and has prayed daily for forgiveness.