Worcester man charged in connection with death of 4-year-old daughter

WORCESTER - A four-year-old girl is dead in Worcester and prosecutors said the little girl's father is to blame.

Prosecutors said Francisco Ortiz, 34, of Worcester, is charged with 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.

Police say that father called 911 on Tuesday saying the girl fell from a table but an autopsy showed that the child had a skull fracture on top of her head and the fall could have been from two stories high, not a table.

Police say the child also had bruises all over her body.

Neighbors like Shandi Morris saw first responders rush to the family's apartment on her floor. "I feel bad, I really do," said Morris. "EMS was bringing her out doing CPR on the little girl."

DCF takes custody of two other children

Investigators say two other children inside the apartment were malnourished with bruises all over their bodies too. The Department of Children and Families said they are now taking care of those children.

"They were all extremely happy, outgoing and then we all find out this. Why are you going to abuse kids?" asked Morris.

Ortiz told detectives he was raising the children on his own, leaving neighbors to wonder why anyone would be accused of hurting a defenseless child.

Ortiz was held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Oct. 23.