Florida's Department Of Children and Families Fails Its Kids- Adoptive Parents Face Death Penalty For Murder Of Child

On Valentine's Day, a day usually associated with love, Florida police made a grisly discovery on the I-95 freeway in West Palm Beach. In a truck alongside the highway was 54-year-old Jorge Barahona (a self-employed exterminator) and his 10-year-old adopted son Victor who they found in critical condition covered in toxic chemicals and suffering seizures. Because of all the hazardous materials, it took a while for police to discover in the bed of the truck Victor's twin sister, unceremoniously stuffed into a black garbage bag. What started off as a mystery has turned into a tale of torture by foster-turned-adoptive parents, and gross neglect on the part of Florida's Department of Children and Families (DCF) who failed to protect these children.

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The twins, Victor and Nubia, were placed in foster care with Jorge Barahona and his 60-year-old wife Carmen. They were later adopted (in 2009) against the advice of their Guardian Ad Litem, and the major objections of their Aunt and Uncle who wanted to adopt them themselves and bring them to Texas. However, the Barahonas were allowed to adopt the children, and what ensued was apparently a living hell for the children. As the case is investigated and information revealed we are being shown how truly inept Florida's DCF is. Nubia's teachers and Principals had reported that the little girl was terrified of her adoptive mother. There were also reports that she was always hungry and unkempt. There were even calls to the child abuse hotline just days before the girl was killed- one from the therapist of Alessandra, the 6-year-old granddaughter of Carmen Barahona, who claimed the twins were being kept in the bathtub with their hands and feet tied and not being fed. The case worker, Fleary, showed up at the house on February 10, after the call from Alessandra's therapist, but she did not pursue it until the next day since there was no-one at the house. When she returned on the 11th, in spite of not seeing either of the twins, she filed a report claiming the kids were safe living with the Barahonas.

Several days later, the hotline received another call from a worried friend who said Barahona had showed up with Victor (who had a cut lip) and no Nubia, and that neither Carmen nor Jorge would say where the young girl was. Another investigator showed up to check it out on the 13th, and found nothing amiss.

Since Victor has been released from the hospital, and the investigation continues, we are learning more of what happened. Apparently, Jorge Barahona beat a screaming and crying Nubia to death on February 11th. Why? We don't know. Yet.

What we do know is that DCF failed these children on so many levels and as a result many top level officials have stepped down and the DCF investigator Andrea for the twins has been placed on paid administrative leave while the case is being investigated.

Sadly, this is not the first time DCF has failed so miserably in protecting children. But Jorge and Carmen both could face the death penalty.

Sources: Palm Beach Post WPTV