Worcester man indicted on murder charge in alleged killing of 4-year-old, abuse of two other children

WORCESTER – A Worcester County Grand Jury handed up indictments for murder and other charges against a Worcester man in the killing of his 4-year-old daughter, and the abuse of two additional children, according to Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early, Jr.

Francisco Ortiz, 34, of Worcester, was indicted on one count each of murder and improper storage of a firearm, and three counts each of permitting bodily injury to a child and reckless endangerment of a child.

Ortiz was initially arraigned on charges of assault and battery on a child with substantial bodily injury, permitting substantial bodily injury to a child, assault and battery, two counts of permitting bodily injury to a child, and reckless endangerment of a child in Worcester Central District Court on October 16, 2024, and has been in state custody since.

A call came into Worcester dispatch for a report that a mother’s 4-year-old daughter was not breathing after falling on the floor with CPR in progress.

The girl was transported to UMass Memorial Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.

According to NBC 10 Boston, doctors who treated the 4-year-old stated that she had a skull fracture consistent with falling two stories and that she had bruises all over her body. Ortiz stated that the child fell from a kitchen table and the other bruises were from previous falls.

Two other children in Ortiz’s care appeared to be bruised, malnourished and dehydrated.

A GoFundMe fundraiser announced that four-year-old A’zella Sky Ortiz of Worcester had died unexpectedly.

The indictment moves the case to Worcester Superior Court, where Ortiz is expected to be
arraigned on a future date.