WORCESTER, MASS. (WHDH) - The state Office of the Child Advocate released a report Wednesday following its investigation into the death of a 4-year-old in Worcester last year.
A’zella Ortiz’s father, Francisco Ortiz, has been charged with her murder; he is currently in jail awaiting trial.
Two of A’zella’s siblings were also found hurt.
The report found that although the Department of Children and Families (DCF) intervened, it missed key warning signs and did not properly evaluate how at-risk the children were.
“Over the course of DCF’s involvement with the families, the risk to the children escalated and their wellbeing declined.” Maria Mossaides said, Director for the Office of the Child Advocate. “However, the DCF case management team did not reevaluate their approach to determine if a different strategy was required to engage with the family and ensure the safety of the children.”
As a result, the 4-year-old and her siblings experienced severe neglect that the report said was life-threatening.
DCF eventually closed the case because it believed the family moved to New York, which was not the case.
The report recommends DCF update several policies to keep children safe and prevent chronic neglect.
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