DCF Promises Investigation Into Toxic Truck Case
MIAMI (CBS4) – The Florida Department of Children and Families vowed to launch a full investigation into their agency's handling of an abuse call regarding the Barahona children and their parents days earlier.
The investigation comes after Monday's tragedy in which a 10-year-old girl was found dead in the bed of her adoptive father's truck and her twin brother was suffering from chemical burns when he was discovered in the man's pickup truck.
On Thursday, regional director of the DCF, Jacqui Colyer said the DCF is deeply troubled by the case.
"We don't know what happened," she said. "We don't know where the snap came. But something happened that, you know, sent them into a tail spin."
Colyer said the case is a tragedy.
"This was a tragedy in every sense of the word," Colyer said. "This is our worst nightmare. Not because I have to stand before you and not because my department is in the spotlight, but because a little girl has died."
DCF said it expects charges to be filed against the mother of the twins.
DCF said they made numerous attempts to contact the family from February 10th to February 13 and eventually they learned that the Barahonas are not separated.
"All roads lead back to that house so we now know that this father…the parents are probably not separated," Colyer said.
Colyer said Thursday that Carmen Barahona is likely to face charges related to an alleged cover-up for her husband, Jorge Barahona.
DCF Secretary David Wilkins issued a written statement on behalf of the department.
"Words alone cannot express the personal sorrow each Department employee feels when any child in any situation dies," said
During a hearing before Judge Cindy Lederman, a representative from DCF told the court they had received a call about Jorge and Carmen Barahona on February 10th.
The caller, a teacher, reportedly told DCF that she was told by one of her students who live in the Barahona's neighborhood that the couple kept two of their adopted children, Victor and his twin sister Nubia, bound with duct tape.
According to the report, the caller said the children were only released when it was time to eat. After the call, child protective investigator Andrea Fleary went to the home looking for the twins Friday night, but Carmen Barahona, the suspect's wife, told them she was separated from her husband and didn't know where he or the twins were. Officials now believe she was covering for him.
Four days later, Victor was hospitalized and Nubia was dead.
"The circumstances surrounding the death of Nubia Barahona – whose body was found Monday off of I-95 in Palm Beach County – have stunned us all," said Wilkens. "I know I speak for all Department employees when I share our pain and condolences for this senseless loss of life. Our prayers and hopes are with Victor Barahona as he struggles through recovery from his severe injuries. I know that everyone is confident that the world class staff at Jackson Memorial Hospital is providing the most thorough and passionate care for his survival."
(Source: C.W. Griffin, Miami Herald)
When asked why Fleary didn't interview the two other children in the house, the investigator said it was 9 p.m. on a Friday night and the investigation was put on hold for the weekend.
The DCF attorney explained to Judge Lederman that when they went to check on the claims, the children's mother Carmen Barahona lied and refused to cooperate.
A wide eyed Lederman then asked, "So we don't do investigations on weekends?"
On Thursday, Colyer defended the agency.
"Protective investigators work seven days a week," she said. "We don't close. We literally don't close. So there is no such thing as we don't work on Saturdays and Sundays."
Judge Lederman ordered Barahona's two other adopted children, a 7-year old girl and an 11-year old boy, be placed in foster care. Lederman said that "no one that had any idea what was going on in that home will have any contact with these children whatsoever."
After the hearing, Colyer was at a loss to explain the investigator's statement in court that the abuse investigation was delayed by the weekend.
In his statement, Wilkens said they intend to investigate just what went wrong so it doesn't happen in the future.
"I have also asked our leadership team to begin assembling an outside review of the case to allow an independent and thorough analysis of any issues – including post-adoption support for families, communications between the Department and our community partners and training for front-line workers – that will help us to continue improving our work every day," the statement said.
(Source: West Palm Beach Police Department)
Wednesday's hearing came hours after police released the arrest affidavit regarding Jorge Barahona, 53, currently charged with child abuse. The report states, "he was distraught over the death of his daughter and intended to commit suicide. Jorge said he pulled over onto a grassy area of the expressway where he could easily be found. He gave his son a handful of sleeping pills and told him to take them so he could sleep."
Victor remains hospitalized at Jackson Memorial Hospital's burn unit. He reportedly was placed on a respirator so he can breathe after suffering internal injuries from inhaling fumes inside his father's pesticide truck.
On Thursday, a Palm Beach County judge ordered Barahona be held on a $1million bond and undergo a mental evaluation.
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