Authorities Charge Grandfather of Toddler Who Fell from Cruise Ship with Manslaughter
Over the summer the nation was gripped by the tragedy of an Indiana family who lost their 18-month old daughter and sister when the toddler fell to her death from a cruise ship. The girl, Chloe Wiegand, was with her grandfather when she fell. He had been holding her up to a widow on the ship when she fell from his arms to the deck below, some 11 stories.
Chloe’s family insisted that the death was an accident, even as authorities in Puerto Rico indicated that it was too early to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the girl’s death. Today authorities in Puerto Rico announced that the girl’s grandfather is being charged with manslaughter.
The island’s Justice Department announced the charges against Salvatore Anello, including negligent manslaughter. As noted in an NBC News report about the charges, Kimberly Wiegand had defended Anello in an interview with TODAY, and instead questioned why the cruise ship would have had an open window so high up on the ship.
NBC News reports that Anello is being held in Puerto Rico on $80,000 bond. His next scheduled court opinion is set for November 20.
Attorney John H. (Jack) Hickey and his team handle a wide range of cases, including but not limited to cruise ship accidents, admiralty and maritime accident cases, medical malpractice, wrongful death, premises liability, railroad accidents and car accidents. We represent victims from all over the nation, the world and the state of Florida.