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An American grandfather accused of the fatal fall of his young granddaughter from an 11th-floor window of a cruise ship docked in Puerto Rico last year pleaded guilty Thursday (Friday NZT) to negligent manslaughter.
Salvatore “Sam” Anello of Valparaiso, Indiana, said earlier this year that he would plead not guilty to help end what he called “this nightmare” for his family.
18-month-old Chloe Wiegand slipped from her grip and fell approximately 150 feet from an open window on Royal Caribbean Cruises’ Freedom of the Seas ship in July 2019.
Puerto Rico prosecutor Laura Hernández said Anello would be sentenced on December 10.
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“We have found justice for Chloe,” he said.
Defense attorney Michael Winkleman said in a statement that Anello will not face any jail time and will serve probation in Indiana.
AP
Salvatore “Sam” Ring and Chloe Wiegand.
“This decision was incredibly difficult for Sam and the family, but because the plea agreement does not include jail time or admission of fact, it was decided that the agreement is in the best interest of the family so they can close this horrible chapter and focus on grieving for Chloe and fighting for the safety of cruise ship passengers, “he said.
Anello, 51, has repeatedly said that he did not know the window to the children’s play area was open and that he lifted Chloe so she could hit the glass as she had done at her brother’s hockey games.
“He wasn’t drinking and he wasn’t hanging her out of a window,” he said in an earlier statement. He said he is color blind and may not have realized that the tinted window was open.
The girl’s parents sued Royal Caribbean last year and accused the company of negligence. In response, Royal Caribbean said surveillance video shows Anello leaning out of the window for about eight seconds before lifting the girl out of the open window for 34 seconds before losing control. The family said it would have been physically impossible for Anello to bow like this.
The civil case is ongoing.
Royal Caribbean did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday (local time).
