The woman, identified as Kristel Candelario , 31, faces criminal charges for her daughter’s death after leaving her home between June 8 and 16 , without leaving the child in the care of any family member, friend, or institution. The child was left unsupervised, without food or any care for over a week.

The girl’s lifeless body was found in harrowing condition by authorities when the mother finally returned home. Alarm bells immediately went off among neighbors, many of whom told the media that this wasn’t the first time the woman had left her daughter alone , although this time the outcome was fatal.

A visibly distressed neighbor recounted how she repeatedly saw the girl cry for hours without anyone responding. “We knew something was wrong, but we never thought it would get to this point,” she