Newly released video shows horrifying moment Indiana toddler Chloe Wiegand's grandfather dropped her from 11th deck of cruise ship
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO: Newly released video shows the horrifying moment an Indiana toddler fell to her death from the 11th deck of a cruise ship this past July.
MEAWW had previously reported that 18-month-old Chloe Wiegand was on a holiday with her parents and grandparents on the Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas when the tragedy occurred.
The ship had been docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on July 7, and while she was playing on the 11th deck with her grandfather Salvatore 'Sam' Anello, she fell through an open window onto the concrete pier 150 feet below and died instantly.
Now, surveillance footage from the scene obtained by Puerto Rican TV show 'La Comay' appears to show the exact moment when Anello realized, to his dismay, that there no glass next to the railing.
The video is from the inside of the cruise ship and shows the 11th deck of the cruise ship bustling with activity.
The 18-month-old girl, who is wearing a cute pink swimming costume, matching pink water shoes, and a white floppy hat, can be seen running to the window, with Anello walking a few steps behind her.
He then bends down and seems to talk to his granddaughter for a bit before lifting her so she can see outside the window with him.
A few seconds later, he leans forward and then collapses backward, with the toddler no longer in his hands.
In October, Puerto Rican prosecutors announced that they would be charging him with negligent homicide in connection to Chloe's death, something the family's lawyer said was like "pouring salt on the open wounds."
During a subsequent interview with CBS This Morning, Anello had said he thought there was glass on the window and recalled the heartbreaking moment his granddaughter slipped out of his hands.
He also suggested that colorblindness may be to blame because the condition meant he could not tell that the windows, which were tinted to distinguish if they were open or closed, was open at the time.
"I’m colorblind," he had revealed. "I don’t know. I just never saw it… I’ve been told that that’s a reason that it might have happened."
Earlier this week, the prosecutors offered Anello a plea deal where he would have to admit guilt by negligence in exchange for no prison time, minimum probation, and minimum supervision.
His attorneys have said he is not considering accepting the deal, and during a hearing on Tuesday, December 17, told the court they planned to present the elderly man's medical records and evidence on his health status.
They also indicated that they wanted a trial by jury where they would prove his color blindness meant he could not see whether there was any glass in the windowpane.
The next court hearing has reportedly been scheduled for January 27, 2020. If found guilty, Anello faces up to three years in prison.