Grandfather Pleads Guilty In Toddler’s Death After Falling From Cruise Ship Window

The grandfather of an 18-month-old baby girl who fell from the open window of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship last year has pled guilty to negligent homicide.

According to NBC News, Salvatore “Sam” Anello pled guilty for the incident that claimed his granddaughter’s life after the cruise ship had been docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in July 2019. The toddler, Chloe Wiegand, fell through from an 11-story window while she was in his care.

Anello was charged by Puerto Rican authorities in October 2019 and initially pleaded not guilty but made the difficult decision to change his plea in February so his family could try and begin to heal from the horrific tragedy.

The Puerto Rico Department of Justice said in a statement that a judge accepted Anello’s plea, and he will be sentenced on December 10th. 

An attorney for the Wiegand family, Michael Winkleman, said that the plea deal means that Anello, who lives in South Bend, Indiana, can avoid jail time and can serve probation in his home state.