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Thread: Chloe Wiegand, 18mo died after she fell from cruise ship window and her grandfather has been charged with negligent homicide

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    Chloe Wiegand, 18mo died after she fell from cruise ship window and her grandfather has been charged with negligent homicide

    (CNN)This is not "like the Michael Jackson story, where he was dangling the child out the window," said the attorney for the family whose toddler fell to her death from a cruise ship window this weekend.

    The grandfather of 18-month old Chloe Wiegand didn't dangle and drop her -- she fell because an open glass pane should have been closed securely, said attorney Michael Winkleman at a news conference on Tuesday.

    Chloe fell to her death from deck 11 of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, Freedom of the Seas, while it was docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Sunday, according to Jos? Carmona, a spokesman for the local Port Authority. Chloe is the child of South Bend Police Officer Alan Wiegand, according to the Indiana police department, and Kimberly Wiegand. Chloe had traveled to San Juan from the mainland with her parents, siblings and four grandparents.

    Winkleman said he was retained by the family on Monday to "set the record straight." As he describes it, the toddler's tragic death is unlike many of the original reports circling the internet.

    Chloe and her grandfather, Sam Anello, were "in the water park on the ship, which is designed for the kids -- kids are meant to be there," said Winkleman. "And there's a whole wall of windows. And the grandfather thought that this window was closed. It turns out, we've come to learn, that ... passengers can open these windows."

    "You have a wall of windows with one hidden hole," said Winkleman. Unknowingly, then, the grandfather places Chloe on the wood railing before the wall of windows, believing Chloe will bang on the glass just like she does at her brother's hockey games, "and the next thing he knows, she's gone," said the attorney.
    After speaking with the grandfather, who was "crying hysterically," Winkleman said he believes that this was a "preventable incident."

    No alcohol was involved, added Winkleman.
    "Kids falling out of windows is nothing new," he said. "There are federal laws and federal standards that are designed to specifically prevent against this -- things like using screens, things like using grids, things like limiting the amount that a window can open."

    Royal Caribbean Cruises said in a statement Monday that it does not plan to comment further on the incident out of respect for the family's privacy: "We are deeply saddened by yesterday's tragic incident, and our hearts go out to the family. We've made our Care Team available to assist the family with any resources they need."
    CNN was reaching out Tuesday to Royal Caribbean and the Puerto Rico Ports Authority for comment on Winkleman's statements.

    Winkleman noted that the Freedom of the Seas ship, which made its maiden voyage in 2006, is older, and none of the newer ships have similar windows that can be opened in the same way.
    "I think Royal Caribbean needs to answer these questions: Why would you ever in a kid's play area put windows that passengers can open? I mean, we've all had that experience where someone walks into a glass sliding door thinking it's not there. This is the inverse of that. It was reasonable for Sam the grandfather to think that this was all glass because from his perspective it was all glass."

    Attorney Michael Winkleman said the death of Chloe Wiegand was a tragic accident that could have been prevented.

    Winkleman is hoping to gain access to the ship and to surveillance footage of the incident.
    "In my view in incidents like this, the video is always key," he said.
    Meanwhile, the family remains in Puerto Rico, waiting for the authorities to release the body of their daughter and for the police to conclude due diligence on the investigation, he said.
    Ultimately, the family does not want this incident to be "just about tragedy," said their attorney, who described Chloe as "a sweet, loving girl." Instead, the Wiegands are hoping to make sure something like this never happens to another family.

    "I do think that there is going to be blame and significant blame on the cruise line," said Winkleman. "I will do everything I can to hold them accountable for what appears to me to be negligence."




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    Cousin Greg Angiebla's Avatar
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    This is terrible. From what I gather it sounds like the cruise ships fault.

    "The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man" -Charles Darwin

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    Senior Member Queena's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Angiebla View Post
    This is terrible. From what I gather it sounds like the cruise ships fault.
    He sat the baby on a ledge. He's totally at fault, but it was a accident. I understand because I would probably try to sue too.

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    Senior Member marshmallow's Avatar
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    Grandpa put the child is a position of danger, it was not the cruise ship's fault. And an atty. who specializes in suing cruise ships is there only to "put the story straight" ? sure.
    Marshmallow here is the one I liken to Ed Gein... Originally Posted by Heartbroken1


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    I saw pics and video of the ship. I am not sure how he couldn't have seen that the window was open-it looked totally different than the closed windows.
    raisedbywolves

    After you pointed this out, I looked at the videos too. There's no way you couldn't have noticed. Yes, you need to closely watch a toddler. However, we don't know how the window got opened. An older kid could have opened it. I think the ship should have put windows that couldn't be opened in the kids play area.

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    Cousin Greg Angiebla's Avatar
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    I change my stance. It sounds like it was negligence on the grandparents part. It’s still really sad, and I feel terrible for the family.

    "The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man" -Charles Darwin

    Quote Originally Posted by bowieluva View Post
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    Senior Member SuchAClassicGirl's Avatar
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    Apparently they were on GMA this morning with fingers pointed at the cruise line.

    https://news.yahoo.com/royal-caribbe...132435876.html

    Check out the comments on that article calling “bullshit.” First reports said he lost his grip. Now saying they didn’t realize that one window was open “in the play area,” and had propped her up on the railing to bang on the glass. Multiple comments point out that windows are heavily tinted green on the ship making it obvious if one was open as well as the fact there ARE no windows like that in the play area.

    Attorney hired. Story changed.
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    Quote Originally Posted by SuchAClassicGirl View Post
    Apparently they were on GMA this morning with fingers pointed at the cruise line.

    https://news.yahoo.com/royal-caribbe...132435876.html

    Check out the comments on that article calling “bullshit.” First reports said he lost his grip. Now saying they didn’t realize that one window was open “in the play area,” and had propped her up on the railing to bang on the glass. Multiple comments point out that windows are heavily tinted green on the ship making it obvious if one was open as well as the fact there ARE no windows like that in the play area.

    Attorney hired. Story changed.
    I read a few of the comments and I smell a whole lot of fishiness on the family's part.

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    Cousin Greg Angiebla's Avatar
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    Fuck I didn’t realize she fell on the cement. Jesus that must have been terrible to witness.

    This may be controversial, but I would never bring my kid on a cruise. Too much shit could happen. That being said, even if the window was closed, why would he put her on the railing and let her go!?! That makes no sense. I feel extremely bad for the parents, but they can’t actually believe it’s the cruise lines fault? They weren’t even there to see what happened. I don’t see them winning their case.
    Last edited by Angiebla; 07-22-2019 at 01:03 PM.

    "The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man" -Charles Darwin

    Quote Originally Posted by bowieluva View Post
    Chelsea, if you are a ghost and reading mds, I command you to walk into the light.

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    Senior Member blighted star's Avatar
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    Was grandad drinking? I don't see how else you could make a mistake like that? (& that goes for both versions)

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    Senior Member marycontrary's Avatar
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    Hey people, Don't encourage your toddlers to bang on glass if it's not your glass. Think of the person who would have to climb up there to clean the childs prints off the glass. Think of the danger of breaking the glass, and the obvious open window. Gramps is lucky this is the first child he has killed with his luck of judgment.
    Assumption is the mother of all fuck ups

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    Senior Member Pidge's Avatar
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    Agreed. It doesn't seem....smart to let a toddler bang on glass. I could totally see a senior losing their balance and letting go of kid, then coming up with another story.

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    Senior Member curiouscat's Avatar
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    I can't sue my dad, because he'll have no money left for me in his will when he kicks the bucket.
    Therefore, I'll sue a big cruise line for his negligence.
    Unfortunately, I can see this being settled out of court in favor of the plaintiff.
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    Cousin Greg Angiebla's Avatar
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    I just feel so bad for the parents of this girl. This is a kind of loss you just don’t get over.

    "The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man" -Charles Darwin

    Quote Originally Posted by bowieluva View Post
    Chelsea, if you are a ghost and reading mds, I command you to walk into the light.

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    Moderator nestlequikie's Avatar
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    I read in an article (I'll get a link if I can find it again) that the grandfather was color-blind. I wonder if that could have made him unable to see that the open window was not the same greenish tint as the rest of them...
    I hope that when the world comes to an end, I can breathe a sigh of relief, because there will be so much to look forward to. - Donnie Darko

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    Quote Originally Posted by Angiebla View Post
    This may be controversial, but I would never bring my kid on a cruise. Too much shit could happen.
    I won't even put MYSELF on a cruise! No thank you. Never.

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    Senior Member TupeloHoney's Avatar
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    Wow.

    https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1117796

    Granddad of toddler who died in cruise ship fall knew window was open, Royal Caribbean says

    The cruise line says video footage proves that the grandfather of Chloe Wiegand knew a ship window was open before he held her up to it.


    (Jan. 17, 2020) The grandfather of a toddler who fell to her death on a cruise ship "unquestionably" knew the window was open before he held the 18-month-old up to it and lost his grip, the cruise line claims in a court filing.

    Royal Caribbean Cruises filed a motion this month asking the federal court in the Southern District of Florida to dismiss a suit by the family of the toddler, Chloe Rae Margaret Wiegand, who died July 7, from a 150-foot fall on a docked vessel in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

    The family announced in December that it was suing Royal Caribbean, claiming that warning signs about open windows could have prevented the toddler's

    The family said the little girl wanted to bang on a window's glass, as she did at the rink at her brother's hockey games. So, grandfather Salvatore Anello lifted her up to a window pane, believing it was closed, the family claims.

    Anello is color blind and couldn't have seen that the window, part of a bank of green-tinted windows on the ship?s 11th floor, was open before he lost control of Chloe and she fell onto a deck below, the family said.

    But Royal Caribbean counters this claim in its motion, which includes a series of still images that the company said were taken from security video and which it says show that Anello knew the window was open before holding Chloe up to it.

    One of the images shows Anello leaning out the window, the court filing says.

    "When he arrives at the open window, and while Chloe is on the floor, Mr. Anello leans his upper-torso over the wooden railing and out of the window frame for approximately eight seconds," the cruise line's court motion says. "Because Mr. Anello had himself leaned out the window, he was well aware that the window is open."

    Separate from the lawsuit by the family and the company's response, prosecutors in Puerto Rico have charged Anello with negligent homicide in his granddaughter's death. Anello was arrested in October and released on an $80,000 bond. He has insisted in media interviews that he is not guilty.

    Royal Caribbean in its court filing on Jan. 8 said that while the "death of Chloe Wiegand is a sad tragedy," the grandfather is entirely to blame.

    "His actions, which no reasonable person could have foreseen, were reckless and irresponsible and the sole reason why Chloe is no longer with her parents," the court motion said.

    NBC News reached out to a lawyer for the toddler's parents, Alan Wiegand and Kimberly Schultz-Wiegand, who live in Indiana, but did not immediately hear back.

    Jose G. Perez-Ortiz, Anello?s lawyer in Puerto Rico, also could not be immediately reached for comment Friday.

    Alan Wiegand is a police officer for the South Bend Police Department in Indiana.



    In a court filing, Royal Caribbean released pictures from security footage, including one that the cruise line says shows Salvatore Anello leaning out of a window through which his granddaughter fell to her death a short time later. U.S. District Court for Southern Florida
    Quote Originally Posted by Not your business View Post
    I will out think the fucking pants off of you and you would thank me for helping you out of them.

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    Senior Member TupeloHoney's Avatar
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    Sorry for the double ... found the actual video

    Quote Originally Posted by Not your business View Post
    I will out think the fucking pants off of you and you would thank me for helping you out of them.

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    Senior Member Pidge's Avatar
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    I think he knew and is covering up the truth. Because it's too awful...and he doesn't want to go to prison

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    Senior Member curiouscat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Country Mac View Post
    I won't even put MYSELF on a cruise! No thank you. Never.
    I won't ever go on a cruise ship, because I get seasick easily and if someone gets sick, you all get sick.
    Quote Originally Posted by Boston Babe 73 View Post
    I don't have a thousand dollars hanging around to buy a fart in a jar lol.

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    Step-grandpa stuck his head out the window for sevral seconds. People on other forums are accusing him of covering up something sinister as he was the babysitter at the moment. Whatever it is, the truth will come out.

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    Senior Member TupeloHoney's Avatar
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    In one article I read, court docs describe him as holding her "out" the window, and it looks like that's what he's doing ... not just standing her on the railing like he claims.

    All I know is if someone held my baby out a window like that, I would kill them with my bare hands. Even if my child was unharmed. I would tear their face off like an angry honey badger.
    Quote Originally Posted by Not your business View Post
    I will out think the fucking pants off of you and you would thank me for helping you out of them.

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    Quote Originally Posted by TupeloHoney View Post
    In one article I read, court docs describe him as holding her "out" the window, and it looks like that's what he's doing ... not just standing her on the railing like he claims.

    All I know is if someone held my baby out a window like that, I would kill them with my bare hands. Even if my child was unharmed. I would tear their face off like an angry honey badger.
    Amen to that.

    WTF was he thinking, holding her out a window?!!!!! I felt bad for him when it first happened but now, not as much.

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    Cousin Greg Angiebla's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by raisedbywolves View Post
    No evidence for this whatsoever, just something I have thought about...I wonder if something was wrong with the kid and he thought this would be better than her being sick or having a deficiency all her life. Just wondering.
    The way he’s holding her with his arms stretched out like that makes it look like he did it on purpose.

    "The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man" -Charles Darwin

    Quote Originally Posted by bowieluva View Post
    Chelsea, if you are a ghost and reading mds, I command you to walk into the light.

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    Quote Originally Posted by SeaHag42 View Post
    Amen to that.

    WTF was he thinking, holding her out a window?!!!!! I felt bad for him when it first happened but now, not as much.
    The only thing I can think of is that he was drunk or damn near drunk . Who

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