The grandfather who dropped a 1-year-old girl, leading to her death, could face criminal charges, police indicated.
There were conflicting reports as to the exact setting on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, which was docked in Puerto Rico. One description had Anello holding her out of an open window before she slipped from his grasp, while another had her perching on the window sill before his grip faltered.
Puerto Rico Ports Authority spokesman José Carmona, on the other hand, told the Associated Press that the grandfather sat the little girl on the edge of a window before she fell to her death.
Depending on what authorities uncover, Anello could face charges, Police Sgt. Nelson Sotelo indicated to the outlet.
Sotelo said that the family of the child that was on the ship—which included her parents and all four grandparents—would remain in the U.S. territory until the investigation was completed.
Sotelo said that Anello is under investigation. No other updates pertaining to the probe appeared available.
Pictures published by the Daily Mail showed both the deceased toddler and the grandfather that was holding her.
Tickets for seven-night cruises range from $530 to $1,762, according to the company's website. All of the trips feature stops in the Caribbean.
Family Speaks Out
The toddler's family said that the real story was that the grandfather put the girl on a ledge near a window in an area for children unaware that the window was open."She goes to bang on the glass like she would have at one of those hockey rinks, and the next thing you know, she's gone."
He said the blame for the death sits squarely with the cruise ship company.
"Why in the world would you leave a window open in an entire glass wall full of windows in a kid's area?” he said. “I mean, why would you have that kind of a hidden danger without any warning, without any sign, without any notice?"
"I do think there is going to be blame and significant blame on the cruise line, and I will do everything I can to hold them accountable, for what appears to me to be negligence," Winkleman added.
In a statement, Royal Caribbean said it was "deeply saddened" by the death, adding: "Our hearts go out to the family."