Barahonas Indicted In Death Of Adopted Daughter Nubia
MIAMI (CBS4) - A south Miami-Dade couple has been indicted by a Miami-Dade grand jury on charges of first degree murder, aggravated abuse and neglect in the death of their adopted daughter 10-year old Nubia Barahona.
Originally Jorge and Carmen Barahona had been charged with first degree murder and seven counts each of aggravated child abuse and neglect, according to CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald. The indictment adds three more charges including a new count of neglect involving another of the couple's adopted children, an 11-year old boy.
On Thursday prosecutors said they would announce Monday if they planned to seek the death penalty against the couple during their arraignment hearing.
In addition to the Miami-Dade indictment, Jorge Barahona is facing charges of attempted murder in Palm Beach County, where he was found on St. Valentine's Day in the front seat of his truck along with his 10-year-old son Victor who was having a seizure; police said the boy was suffering from severe chemical burns. In the back of the truck investigators found the decomposing body of Victor's twin sister Nubia.
Miami-Dade investigators determined that Nubia had been killed at the Barahona's southwest Miami-Dade home. Barahona and his wife will remain behind bars until their trials because the murder charges against them carry no bond.
Miami-Dade police said the Barahonas beat Nubia to death after a long history of abuse of both of the twins. They often bound the children hand and foot, police claim, and forced them to sit in a bathtub for days on end. The abuse was overlooked by caseworkers for the Department of Children and Families, despite a number of warning events.
The handling of the case prompted a blue-ribbon panel investigation, and a promise by DCF to change a number of procedures to help prevent cases like the Barahonas' from falling through the cracks.
Victor Barahona and two other adopted children who had been living in the Barahonas' home when Nubia was killed have all been placed in foster care.
Barahona's attempted murder trial in Palm Beach County is set for January 30th, 2012.
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