The Department of Children and Families erroneously thought 4-year-old A’zella Ortiz had moved to New York before she was allegedly killed by her father in Worcester last year, a new report says, which argues DCF failed to support her and her siblings for years.

“Although the ultimate tragic outcome of this case is rare, in other ways this case is like the vast majority of DCF cases,” the new report from the state’s Office of the Child Advocate said. Nearly 80 percent of the families served by DCF are “intact families,” the report said, meaning the children are not removed from their caregivers.

Francisco Ortiz is accused of killing A’zella in Worcester in October of 2024 and pleaded not guilty to murder, reckless endangerment of a child, and permitting injury to a child. He remains

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