On October 14, 2023, 3-year-old Ethan Ortiz-Ruiz, diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, left his family's apartment at The Crosby at Towne Center complex in Sanford, Florida, unsupervised while both parents were in separate bathrooms. The child had been returned from his Godmother's care around 1:20 p.m., and approximately one hour later, around 2:20 p.m., the mother heard the front door open and close. After failing to locate the child, the parents called 911 at approximately 2:55 p.m. Police arrived at 3:14 p.m. and at 3:33 p.m. found Ethan floating in a retention pond approximately 20 yards from the apartment. He was transported to Lake Monroe Hospital and pronounced dead at 4:13 p.m. The cause of death was drowning, ruled accidental. Notably, the child had wandered from home on at least three prior occasions in March 2023, including one incident where he was found in the same retention pond. Both parents, Barbara Ruiz and Lester Ortiz, were arrested and charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child, and a DCF investigation verified findings of inadequate supervision, environmental hazards, and substance misuse.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
The fatality report explicitly states the cause of death as "Drowning" and the manner of death as "Accident." The report describes the child being "found floating in a retention pond approximately 20 yards away from the apartment." The WFTV article also reports the child was "rescued from a retention pond at a Sanford apartment complex."
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
The fatality report states verified findings of "Inadequate Supervision" as to both parents. The child, a 3-year-old with autism, wandered out of the apartment unsupervised while both parents were in separate bathrooms and subsequently drowned in a retention pond. The report further details three prior incidents in March 2023 where the child was found wandering unsupervised, including one where he was found in the same pond. The USA Today article quotes a Sanford police spokesperson: "You have two parents in the home; you had no safety measures taken for a child you know has done this on multiple occasions, so they absolutely could have prevented the death of this child."
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
The fatality report identifies Lester Ortiz as the "Father" (age 39) in the Family Composition Chart. The DCF investigation was closed with verified findings of "Death, Inadequate Supervision, Environmental Hazards, and Substance Misuse – Illicit Drugs as to the decedent, with both parents as the caregivers responsible." He was also charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child per the news articles.
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The fatality report identifies Barbara Ruiz as the "Mother" (age 37) in the Family Composition Chart. The DCF investigation closed with verified findings including both parents as the caregivers responsible. She was also charged with aggravated manslaughter per the news articles.
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
The fatality report describes Ethan as "the 3-year-old autistic child." The USA Today article states "Ortiz and Ruiz told police that Ethan had autism spectrum disorder." The WFTV article also notes "the boy, diagnosed with autism."
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
The fatality report contains a "Summary of Prior Agency Involvement with Family" section that, while largely garbled due to OCR issues, contains references to prior dates and investigations. The fatality report also states "There was no active involvement at the time of the child's death," implying there had been prior involvement that was no longer active. The USA Today article states "the Florida Department of Children and Families told police" about a prior incident where "Ethan was discovered knee-deep in the pond while Ortiz was asleep," and also notes "DCF also noted that Ortiz and Ruiz have a 6-year-old son diagnosed with autism that had gone missing under their supervision," confirming DCF had prior knowledge of and involvement with this family.
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
The WFTV article states: "two parents are facing manslaughter charges in the death of their toddler" and "both of the child's parents were arrested on charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child." The USA Today article confirms: "Two Florida parents have been charged with manslaughter of a child."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The fatality report lists verified findings of "Substance Misuse – Illicit Drugs" for both parents. The WFTV article reports: "officers noticed strong smells of marijuana in the home, and Ortiz and Luiz had bloodshot eyes" and "Ruiz and Ortiz told investigators they had medical marijuana cards and smoked regularly." The USA Today article corroborates: "Police also observed the parents as having bloodshot eyes and noted in the arrest report that the home smelled of 'freshly smoked marijuana.'"
Notable Details
The fatality report describes three prior similar incidents in March 2023 where the child wandered off unsupervised: on March 4th the child was found wandering in a parking lot; on March 5th a neighbor found the child wandering and called police; and critically, on March 17th "An apartment complex employee found the 3-year-old in the same pond where he eventually suffered a fatal drowning incident and he had been missing for 20 minutes." The USA Today article also notes that the 6-year-old sibling, who was also diagnosed with autism, "had gone missing under their supervision" as well. These prior incidents demonstrate a clear, documented pattern of the child being exposed to the exact hazard that ultimately killed him, yet no effective safety measures were implemented. Additionally, the WFTV article notes that "officers who responded to rescue the child from the pond received medical treatment due to bacteria in the water," highlighting the hazardous nature of the retention pond.
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