DENVER -- The man charged with murder in the death of a 2-year-old girl was never interviewed by Denver Department of Human Services workers in an earlier abuse investigation, a CALL7 Investigation found.

Alexis Ortiz, 31, is facing charges of killing Joslyn Asberry Feb. 1 at the home where he was living with the girl’s mother, police records show.

CALL 7 Investigator John Ferrugia found that DDHS opened an investigation Dec. 10 after another child in the home went to Oakland Elementary School with a mark on her face.

According to Joslyn’s mother, the child told teachers that Alexis Ortiz pushed her down a stairs.

The mother, who declined to talk on camera, told Ferrugia that DDHS workers visited the home in mid-January but did not interview Ortiz even though he was at home.

The worker scheduled another visit on Jan. 25, but the mother was not at home. A week later Joslyn died.

The case has striking similarities to the December death of Luz Valdez.

DDHS was investigating an allegation that her mother’s boyfriend was dropping Luz, but a DDHS worker did not interview the boyfriend before closing the investigation in the case, family members said. He is charged with murder in Luz’s death.

After 7NEWS uncovered that error in the Valdez case, DDHS manager Roxane White issued a memo requiring that case managers interview everyone responsible for child care during the investigation.

“Every person who is in the house and has care taking responsibilities for the child should be interviewed,” White told Ferrugia.

The assessment checklist clearly includes a question asking whether “all caretakers for children (were) interviewed?”

Despite the checklist, which was in place before Joslyn’s death, the worker apparently did not interview Ortiz, according to the Joslyn’s mother.

“But specifically with the Feb. 1 case everybody in the house would include the alleged abuser, right?” Ferrugia asked White.

"Everyone who has care taking responsibilities and is in the home should be interviewed," White responded.