Brianna Candelaria is accused of killing her son on July 29, 2024, according to court documents in Virginia Beach.
According to new court documents obtained by 13News Now from New Rochelle County Court in New York on Friday, police arrested Candelaria on July 22, seven days before the death of 5-month-old Valentino Candelaria-Lopez.
According to documents from New Rochelle County Court, Candelaria faces six different counts in New York. These include criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, assault in the third degree, harassment, and physical contact.
The other three counts involve endangering the welfare of a child.
The documents go on to say that Candelaria was staying at a hotel in New York when she accused another woman of having an affair with her ex. According to the criminal complaint, Candelaria physically assaulted the woman, strangling her for 20 seconds.
When the woman informed Candelaria that she was calling the cops, he allegedly punched her three to four times in the back of the head.
The entire interaction took place in front of the woman’s two children and Candelaria’s son, Valentino. According to the criminal complaint, the situation harmed the physical, mental, and moral well-being of all three children.
The charges will be heard in New Rochelle County court in February.
We have also contacted the district attorney’s office in New Rochelle County, New York. They were not aware of Candelaria’s charges in Virginia Beach.
She is currently housed in the Virginia Beach Jail. She is facing two charges in connection with Valentino Candelaria-Lopez’s death: second-degree or accidental murder and child neglect and abuse.
We’ve contacted the Commonwealth’s Attorney in Virginia Beach to see how the charges from New York will compare to the charges she faces in Virginia. In addition, we spoke with Valentino Candelaria-Lopez’s family.
His father, Andrew Lopez, says he’s still processing his son’s death.
Brianna Candelaria’s determination hearing is scheduled for Monday in Virginia Beach.