Worcester man charged in daughter's death held after dangerousness hearing
WORCESTER - A Worcester man is being held after a dangerousness hearing in the death of his four-year-old daughter in what authorities say is a tragic case of child abuse. Francisco Ortiz, 34, faces assault and battery charges in the death that could eventually be increased.
On October 15 police were called to a Worcester apartment building on Sever Street for an unresponsive child. Arriving officers attempted CPR and found her in deplorable condition.
"He made observations to her person that she had just a shirt on, was otherwise naked from the waist down, appeared to have feces covering parts of her body including her socks and feet, and he saw initially some bleeding from her mouth and from her lips," said Worcester County Assistant District Attorney Courtney Sans.
Injury consistent with fall from two stories
It was Ortiz who made the 911 call, allegedly telling officers his daughter fell from a table in their apartment. But the medical examiner determined she had a skull fracture so severe it was consistent with a fall from two stories with injuries throughout her entire body, including prior wounds that were still healing.
Neighbors say they never knew any children were living in the apartment, occasionally seeing only Ortiz who was unemployed, and prosecutors say with a history with police of violence and gang involvement. "It's horrible, it's real horrible," said neighbor Nick Sullivan. "You bring a child into this world to teach them and have them learn how it is to live a life, and for them to do that I'm at a loss for words over it."
Two other children in state custody
Prosecutors say a two-year-old brother also has a skull fracture, and a nonverbal six-year-old sister has traces of fentanyl in her body. The children, they say, were malnourished and dehydrated and are now in state custody.
His attorney offered this defense. "It was my client who called police, called for help, and they responded, and he was cooperative," said attorney David Erickson.
The medical examiner still has to determine the final cause of death.
