Worcester man held without bail after 4-year-old daughter found dead in disturbing conditions 

WORCESTER — A Worcester man facing charges related to the death of his four-year-old daughter was ordered held without bail following a dangerousness hearing in Central District Court on Wednesday.

Although he has not been charged with murder, Francisco Ortiz, 34, a resident of the Sever Square Apartment complex located at 11 Sever Street, is facing the following charges related to the injuries his daughter sustained: assault and battery on a child with substantial injury, permitting substantial injury to a child, assault and battery, two counts of permitting injury to a child, and reckless endangerment of a child. 

Assistant District Attorney Courtney Sans said in the hearing Wednesday that when police responded to a 911 call made by Ortiz on October 15, they responded to his apartment where they found the child naked from the waist down, unresponsive, and cold to the touch, with parts of her body covered in feces, including her socks and feet. Sans added that an officer reported that the girl had been bleeding from her mouth and lips.

The girl sustained injuries to multiple areas, including her left eye, neck, arms, abdomen, chest, and upper thighs, according to Assistant District Attorney Courtney Sans. The girl was transported to UMass Memorial Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Ortiz allegedly told police that his daughter fell from a kitchen table, but doctors indicated her skull fracture was more consistent with a two-story fall, NBC Boston reported. An autopsy revealed multiple rib fractures at different stages of healing, in addition to the skull fracture. Authorities are still waiting for the official determination of the cause and manner of death.

Sans reported that there were two other children in Ortiz’s care when police arrived on scene, a 2- and 6-year-old, who also had various injuries and were “severely” malnourished. Sans added that the 6-year-old tested positive for fentanyl.

Ortiz lives with his mother and is the primary caretaker of his children. The children’s mother takes care of them part-time, NBC Boston reported. Ortiz, his mother, and the mother of his children all denied that the children were victims of abuse.

The Massachusetts Department of Children and Families has taken custody of the remaining children living in Ortiz’s apartment.

Ortiz’s next court date is a probable cause hearing scheduled for November 20.