The man who dropped his granddaughter from the window of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship has had his sentencing delayed.
Telemundo reports instead of being sentenced on Thursday, his court date has been rescheduled to February 8, 2021.
Salvatore “Sam” Anello plead guilty to negligent manslaughter in October, and accepted a settlement that would allow for a reduced sentence.
In July 2019, 18-month-old Chloe Wiegand fell to her death after her grandfather dropped her from an open window on Freedom of the Seas.
Initially Mr. Anello said he would not plead guilty after his granddaughter fell from a top deck of Freedom of the Seas. He then changed his plea in order to avoid jail time and serve probation instead.
Anello and her family have maintained that Chloe Wiegand's fall was an accident and not a crime.
According to the maternal grandfather's testimony, Chloe asked be raised up by her grandfather. He put her on a rail by a window, thinking the glass would hold her. However, the window was open.
Royal Caribbean said that surveillance video shows Anello leaning out the window for about eight seconds before lifting the girl by and out of the open window for 34 seconds before he lost his grip.
After the initial accident occurred, Royal Caribbean issued a statement that the company was "deeply saddened by the tragic incident."
"Our hearts go out to the family. We have made our team available to assist them with the resources they need. Out of respect for their privacy, we do not plan to comment further on the incident."
Royal Caribbean released video and images in January in response to the lawsuit to prove Anello knew the window was open prior to holding his granddaughter up to it. Anello has repeatedly said that he did not know the window was open.
