Attorney: Family 'Needs Answers' In Toddler's Cruise Ship Death

PUERTO RICO — The attorney for the family of South Bend Police Department officer Alan Wiegand, whose toddler fell to her death on a Royal Caribbean ship Sunday, spoke on the family's behalf during a Tuesday press conference, according to WSBT. A Port Authority spokesman said the grandfather of 18-month-old Chloe Wiegand was playing with her inside the cruise ship docked in San Juan when he lost his balance and she fell out the window.

Several reports Sunday and Monday claimed the girl was being held by her grandfather on the Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas ship when she slipped out of his arms and fell from the ship's 11th floor to a concrete dock below.

However, Attorney Michael Winkleman and the family are disputing some claims, looking for answers to several questions in this tragic incident.

"Chloe's grandfather was playing with her in the kid’s water zone," Winkleman said during a press conference Monday. "Chloe wanted to bang on the glass like she always did at her older brothers hockey games. Her grandfather thought there was glass just like everywhere else, but there was not, and she was gone in an instant. The family needs answers as to why there would be an open window in a wall full of fixed windows in a kids' play area? Why would you have the danger without any warning, sign or notice?"

According to authorities, the young girl was traveling with her parents, two siblings and two sets of grandparents. WMAQ reported Monday that Puerto Rico Police Department Sgt. Nelson Sotelo told The Associated Press the toddler's maternal grandfather, Salvatore Anello of Valparaiso, was under investigation.

Chloe's grandfather works for St. Joseph County.

According to WSBT, authorities said they're investigating Sunday's incident as an accident, and the toddler's family is not allowed to leave Puerto Rico until the investigation is complete.

"I 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 be negligence," Winkleman said, according to WSBT.

Police Chief Scott Ruszkowski confirmed to WSBT that the child involved in the tragic incident is Wiegand's, and the department released a statement Monday morning:

"The South Bend Police Department offers its sincerest condolences to Officer Alan Wiegand and his family during this difficult time following the tragic loss of their child while in Puerto Rico," the department said in their statement. "The department asks the community to pray for the entire Wiegand family as they grieve and to respect their privacy."

Check back for updates on this developing story.