Grandfather charged in tragic cruise ship toddler death

Salvatore Anello charged with criminal negligence after granddaughter, Chloe Wiegand, fell to her death

18-month-old girl fell from open window on Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas ship while in grandfather's care

The grandfather of an 18-month-old girl who fell to her death from an open window on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship has been charged with criminal negligence. Salvatore Anello, 51, was charged on Wednesday with negligent homicide in the death of his granddaughter, Chloe Wiegand. The incident occurred on July 7, 2019, while the ship was docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Anello was holding Chloe in the children's play area when he leaned out an open window and the toddler fell out. Chloe was rushed to a local hospital, where she died from her injuries.

Anello's attorney, Michael Winkleman, said that his client is "devastated" by Chloe's death and that he "never intended for anything like this to happen." Winkleman said that Anello thought the window was closed and that he was not aware that Chloe was leaning out of the window. The cruise line, Royal Caribbean, said in a statement that it is "deeply saddened" by Chloe's death and that it is cooperating with the investigation.

The incident has raised questions about the safety of cruise ship windows. Some experts have called for cruise lines to install shatterproof glass in all windows that open. Others have argued that parents need to be more vigilant in supervising their children while on cruise ships.