SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Indiana man who pleaded guilty nearly one year ago in the death of his 18-month-old granddaughter aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship in July 2019 was sentenced Monday to three years of probation.
According to a statement issued by the Puerto Rican government, Salvatore “Sam” Anello will be allowed to serve his sentence in Michigan, where he now lives, CNN reported.
Anello was charged in connection with the death of his granddaughter, Chloe Wiegand, after she fell an estimated 150 feet from an open 11-story window aboard Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas. He said in a statement released following the sentencing that he agreed to plead guilty to negligent homicide so that both he and the girl’s family can focus on a civil lawsuit against the cruise line.
The plea deal allowed Anello to avoid jail time and serve the probation in his home state, Michael Winkleman, an attorney for the Wiegand family, told NBC News.
“After this sentencing, I feel a mixture of anger and relief. Relief that I will serve no jail time and that I did not have to admit any facts. Relief for my family so that we can close this chapter and move on together,” Anello stated.
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