The grandfather of a toddler who died after falling from an open window on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship said he plans to plead guilty so his family can start to move on.
NBC news reports Salvatore Anello released a statement Tuesday, saying, “I took a plea deal today to try to help end part of this nightmare for my family, if possible.”
Anello initially pleaded not guilty to a negligent homicide charge from Puerto Rican authorities in the death of Chloe Wiegand back in July.
The attorney for the Wiegand family told NBC that Anello filed paperwork to change his plea in return for an agreement that included no jail time.
Anello thanked his family for continuing to stick by him.
“The support they continue to give me has been beyond overwhelming and I can’t tell you how grateful I am for them,” he said.
Anello also added that justice for Chloe should include bringing attention to the need for more safety measures on Freedom of the Seas, the cruise ship from which she fell.
The family has said that while Anello was watching Chloe, he put her up to the window to bang on the glass when she slipped from his hands and through the window, falling to her death from the 11th story of the ship.
