On June 25, 2023, around 1:30 a.m., 4-month-old Adalynn Ortega was found unresponsive near 23rd and Burnham in Milwaukee and was brought to the hospital with multiple injuries, where she was subsequently pronounced deceased. The Medical Examiner's Office noted signs of trauma, and the autopsy report was still pending at the time of the 90-day summary report. The infant's 23-year-old mother was arrested for child neglect, though no criminal charges had been filed as of the report date. CPS substantiated maltreatment of neglect against the mother, and the infant's three half-siblings (ages 2, 3, and 4) were placed with a relative after being deemed unsafe.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The fatality report states the infant was "brought to the hospital with multiple injuries" and that "The Medical Examiner's Office noted signs of trauma." While no specific mechanism of inflicted injury is described (e.g., slapped, punched), a 4-month-old infant presenting with multiple injuries and signs of trauma strongly implies inflicted injury, as infants this age cannot self-inflict such injuries.
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?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
The fatality report states "The Initial Assessment found a preponderance of the evidence to substantiate maltreatment of neglect to the infant by the mother." The news article corroborates this, reporting "a woman, 23, was arrested for child neglect." The biological mother was the substantiated maltreater.
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)
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 documents two prior CPS reports involving the infant's half-siblings: "On December 20, 2021, the agency screened-in a CPS report alleging neglect to the infant's now 2-year-old half-sibling by the mother and the child's father" and "On May 27, 2020, the agency screened-in a CPS Report alleging neglect to the infant's now 3-year-old and now 4-year-old half-siblings by their mother." Both were unsubstantiated but establish a prior CPS report history for siblings of the deceased child.
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 news article states "a woman, 23, was arrested for child neglect." While the fatality report notes that "No criminal charges have been filed in this case," the question asks about charges or arrest, and an arrest was made. The arrest was directly in connection with the child's death.
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?
Notable Details
The fatality report documents that the infant had "multiple injuries" and the Medical Examiner noted "signs of trauma," yet the agency's substantiated maltreatment finding was for neglect rather than physical abuse. This distinction may indicate a failure-to-protect theory rather than direct infliction of harm by the mother, or it may reflect the limitations of the CPS assessment at the time of the report while the criminal investigation and autopsy remained pending. Additionally, the autopsy report was still pending at the time of the 90-day summary report, leaving the cause and manner of death unresolved.
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