FL - Nubia Barahona, 10, slain, twin injured, West Palm Beach, 11 Feb 2011 *Arrest*

[Texas Mist]

Barahona's Daughter Accused Of Hiding Twins' Abuse
Woman Loses Custody Of Whistle-Blowing Child

POSTED: Tuesday, February 22, 2011
UPDATED: 5:51 pm EST February 22, 2011

MIAMI -- A hearing was held Tuesday morning over the custody of a 7-year-old girl who reported her grandparents were abusing their 10-year-old adopted twins just a few days before one of the twins was found dead.
.......................
Tuesday morning's custody hearing focused on the 7-year-old girl's mother and the Barahonas' daughter, Jennifer Perez. A DCF attorney told a judge that Perez knew about the alleged torture and abuse of the twins and refused to report it.

more here

http://www.justnews.com/news/26952725/detail.html

 

[belimom]

I think it is an auto update of the childs age in the computer.

You may be right. If you look at the age of the Carmen and Jorge (Section III, same report), it ages them - everyone - to what they would be in 2010 as well.

However, it talks about field narrative update 2004, and also the biomom -- which really matches up to events taking place in 2004, not in 2010, kwim? :waitasec:

ETA: If you scroll down a few more pages, there's another report in 2004, with estimated ages being "0". I don't think the computer is doing this - I think it defaults to "0" and then you override it with a manually entered number. MOO

 

[Wise Old Owl]

Thank you LCoastMom. It is very confusing isn't it? We just don't know if bio dad molested the twins. At first I thought he did - but (for the same reasons you brought up) then I think he didn't.

I do know this - DCF will not necessarily tell foster parents if they children were sexually abused. I know this from following DCF in this state.

I also find it horrific that the grown daughter KNEW about the abuse of the twins and not only kept it quiet but also threatened her own small daughter to keep her mouth shut as well. How, as a mother, do you do that? It just boggles my mind. I wonder if when this is all over, if she won't be charged as well.

 

[fhc]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/parents-at-dead-girls-school-want-to-memorialize-1274961.html

Parents at dead girl’s school want to memorialize child found slain in Palm Beach County

(she appears to be cared for in this picture)

For weeks before Carmen and Jorge Barahona withdrew their adoptive twin children from Blue Lakes Elementary last year, the parents of other kids kept wondering: Is Nubia going to just wither away?

To complicate matters, Florida law does not allow a judge to sever a parent’s rights to a deceased child. So Carmen and Jorge Barahona are free to do as they please with Nubia’s remains after the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office has released her body. The medical examiner declined to discuss the case Tuesday.

 

[LCoastMom]

According to the state's petition, Bustillo was an unfit father because of domestic violence, abandonment and medical neglect. Nubia was born with an unknown medical condition that required her to take medication, according to state officials.

In 2004, Bustillo was arrested and accused of pulling a 10-year-old girl into an apartment and touching her crotch in the presence of a 2-year-old child. The petition says that Bustillo admitted to molesting the girl in a taped confession.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/crime/father-who-lost-custody-of-nubia-and-victor-1274037.html

Well, this doesn't help shed much light on the situation, except to clear up the age of the victim. Not good at all -

His comments are self serving, but I would imagine the man is deep in grief for his children and his own shortcomings, so I'll withhold comment for now.

 

[jjenny]

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/parents-at-dead-girls-school-want-to-memorialize-1274961.html

Parents at dead girl’s school want to memorialize child found slain in Palm Beach County

(she appears to be cared for in this picture)

For weeks before Carmen and Jorge Barahona withdrew their adoptive twin children from Blue Lakes Elementary last year, the parents of other kids kept wondering: Is Nubia going to just wither away?

To complicate matters, Florida law does not allow a judge to sever a parent’s rights to a deceased child. So Carmen and Jorge Barahona are free to do as they please with Nubia’s remains after the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office has released her body. The medical examiner declined to discuss the case Tuesday.

Yes, she appears to be fine in the photo. Well groomed and not too thin.

 

[LCoastMom]

From above link: Bustillo was an unfit father because of domestic violence, abandonment and medical neglect.

CWs heaped praise on JB/CB in spite of allegations of neglect and abuse. I'm just not seeing all the pieces here.

Why was Bustillo unfit for his shortcomings as a parent (note the article does not mention sexual abuse of the twins) but the children were adopted by a couple who surely had shortcomings of their own (prior to the known horrors)!

In 12/04 a nurse from Nubia's doctor's office complained Nubia (AGE 4) had not had follow up appointment since January. Neither CB nor JB brought Nubia to her appointments - they sent her on a med transport bus - 4 years old!!

2 different teachers had C/O Nubia's lack of hygiene, (plus a principal & vice principal).

The children had approximately 60 school days between Nov 17, '05 & Feb 23, '06 - of which Nubia missed 17 days! More than 25%! HUGE FLAG!!

The children's PAL had enough concerns that he spoke against the adoption.

Nubia had bruises, sores and an untreated scalp condition!

These are the people who were allowed to adopt. Who were the CPI's interviewing?

 

[Wise Old Owl]

From above link: Bustillo was an unfit father because of domestic violence, abandonment and medical neglect.

CWs heaped praise on JB/CB in spite of allegations of neglect and abuse. I'm just not seeing all the pieces here.

Why was Bustillo unfit for his shortcomings as a parent (note the article does not mention sexual abuse of the twins) but the children were adopted by a couple who surely had shortcomings of their own (prior to the known horrors)!

In 12/04 a nurse from Nubia's doctor's office complained Nubia (AGE 4) had not had follow up appointment since January. Neither CB nor JB brought Nubia to her appointments - they sent her on a med transport bus - 4 years old!!

2 different teachers had C/O Nubia's lack of hygiene, (plus a principal & vice principal).

The children had approximately 60 school days between Nov 17, '05 & Feb 23, '06 - of which Nubia missed 17 days! More than 25%! HUGE FLAG!!

The children's PAL had enough concerns that he spoke against the adoption.

Nubia had bruises, sores and an untreated scalp condition!

These are the people who were allowed to adopt. Who were the CPI's interviewing?

But the house was always neat, clean and tidy with no hazardous conditions seen!!!!

:furious: :furious: :furious: :furious:

 

[Wise Old Owl]

Ok - at the very end of the noon news ( www.wsvn.com ) they had a "news alert" - Palm Beach County LE is at the Barahona home in Miami serving a search warrant. They said they do have dogs on site and in the area. Miami Dade LE is assisting but the warrant is out of Palm Beach.

I did get to see the backyard (finally) as the heli was flying over and filming. The pool. It is not a big in-ground fancy-dancy pool. It is a round above ground and it is green!!!! Very nasty looking. There were aluminum storm panels on a window of a room that faced the backyard. The back did not look nearly as well groomed as the front. Not by a long shot. Funny, because at my house I let the front go - but my backyard is my paradise. The neighborhood I live in - don't want to present a "street front" - kinda keeps the questionable people at bay.

Ok - just wanted to let ya'll know what I just heard. Seems the case is still moving forward.

 

[dsntslp]

Wise Old Owl,
Thank you for the updates, truly.

 

[CHICANA]

3/26/04 - Child Intake Initial -

The father was arrested today for sexual battery against a minor. The father was not a caretaker for this minor - the father kissed and fondled the minor. The father got custody of ______ and Nubia six months ago.

______ inactive value - sexual abuse - other child

Nubia inactive value - sexual abuse - other child

03/26/04

(Paraphrased) The police arrested the father of N & V for sexual assault of a minor - the police asked the landlord to keep the kids - landlord only available for 1 day siting lack of space. Children taken into custody.

Wouldn't the children have been immediately taken into custody for medical care if there was possible sexual abuse, rather than being dumped on the father's landlord?


4/24/04 investigation closed.

The father was arrested today for sexual battery against a minor. The father was not a caretaker for this minor - the father kissed and fondled the minor. The father got custody of ______ and Nubia six months ago.

______ - sexual abuse - other child

Nubia - sexual abuse - other child

Mr ____ was charged with sexual battery against a minor. He was also charged with aggravated assault. Mr____'s criminal record does pose a risk to his children.

01/26/05

Children seen for psycho-sexual evaluation. ...The children seen by Dr C. The doctor stated that the child,ubia stated that the foster parent Mr B tickles her in front of everyone. The dr stated he doesn't think there is a problem with the child. He went on to state that he had to report what the child had said, because he is required to do so.

01/27/05

In the past the FF has (unknown) tickled Nubia's private area (vagina) with his fingers. This happened more than once. And the incidents happened in front of other adults in the home. It is unknown when the incidents occurred and it is unknown if anything such thing has been done to ______. There are also other children in the home but it is unknown if those children are also foster children or biological children of the parents.

______ - sexual abuse - other child

Nubia - sexual molestation -

The FA has visitation. Because of priors and current allegations the court has ordered therapeutic visitation between FA and children. The children remain in shelter care. *Caseworker and court made aware of allegations and current concerns as to Bio FA.

2/10/05

Snipped - court notified - no further concerns as to shelter parents!

3/18/05

She (CB) stated that the father has court for the allegations that brought the children into care on 4/18/05.... This counselor explained to the FP that the courts ordered a psycho-sexual on the father and the Psychologists recommendations were that the father's risk to the children is low. The courts then deemed that he should have visitation with his children.

Please tell me the state would not order visitation, supervised or otherwise, if there was possible sexual abuse of the children by the parent!

12/07/06

Nubia Docter

...she was also pick up to see the doctor for ability to testify in a comming trial against their biological father.

12/07/06

__________

The case manager pick the child up for doctor appointment which is ability to testify in a trial.

3/20/2007 - 4/12/07

Paraphrased - during investigation of foster parents; Nubia - unkept, hungry, bruised, unclean, fearful of FP, etc - all allegations against them are unfounded, every time!

priors:
2006 - bruises, welts - unfounded
2005 - Sexual molestation FF - unfounded
**Sexual Abuse (Nubia) by bio-father - verified

*The children had been in FC for 9 months before any concerns re the bio dad and children was mentioned - after Nubia fingered Jorge!

**How is it that abuse allegations that started 9 mos after leaving bio-father was able to be verified all this time later, yet the child was unable to convince the specialist that she was currently being abused by FPs?

From what I have read thus far I am not convinced the bio father did anything sexual to Nubia - I believe it is possible his charges came after inappropriate contact with a teenager - while such contact is just as wrong legally, it is a far cry from molesting a toddler!

Please don't get me wrong, I'm not sticking up for the bio-dad - he is not a good guy and he justly lost custody of his kids, because of his bad behavior - which in turn put them in this house of horrors. I just find it hard to believe that there was no mention of sexual abuse (of Nubia or V) by him until after the allegation of Jorge B. and the claims of their behavior changing (after supervised contact with bio-father) came from Carmen B.

These poor kids were born into a nightmare and the state of FL made their lives much worse when they allowed these children to be tortured and abused!

It appears after reading the reports that the CPI's were writing fairy tales! I just can't understand why!?

They can't admit they're wrong. If a caseworker finds abuse in the foster home, they're finding fault with the placement which was made by another caseworker & supervisor. I'm not explaining this well, but it's like telling your boss or the person responsible for your job security/paycheck they were wrong. With CPS, they would more or less be telling the higher-ups that they placed a child with a child molesting pervert. All politics & cover-ups. They don't want anything like that in writing.

 

[LCoastMom]

But the house was always neat, clean and tidy with no hazardous conditions seen!!!!

:furious: :furious: :furious: :furious:

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: Duly noted! :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

Had they only looked in the one bathroom, the trash cans or really paid attention to the children....

Used to be a child or 2 a year got under my skin, right this minute there are FIVE current cases!! FIVE!! What the heck is going on?

 

[LCoastMom]

They can't admit they're wrong. If a caseworker finds abuse in the foster home, they're finding fault with the placement which was made by another caseworker & supervisor. I'm not explaining this well, but it's like telling your boss or the person responsible for your job security/paycheck they were wrong. With CPS, they would more or less be telling the higher-ups that they placed a child with a child molesting pervert. All politics & cover-ups. They don't want anything like that in writing.

Your explanation is just fine and I totally concur.

Thousands of pages, we saw 150ish - you have to know the panel is cleaning as fast as they can to be as neat and organized as J&CB. Maybe CB would like to help! :maddening: :maddening: :maddening:

 

[Wise Old Owl]

Authorities digging up Barahona’s back yard

By Carol Marbin Miller,
[email protected]

Authorities on Wednesday descended on the West Miami-Dade home of Jorge Barahona, adoptive father of the horribly abused, 10-year-old twins who were found last week in a pest control truck along the highway.

Reporters at the scene said officers were digging in the back yard near a shed. News helicopters hovering overhead reported seeing officials raising the metal lid off a container. It is not yet known what authorities were searching for.

Police blocked off traffic in front of the home at 11501 SW 47th Ter.

While officials dug through the back yard, at the hospital, Victor’s prognosis improved Wednesday and child welfare officials announced he might be released from the hospital as early as Friday.

“Really, from a medical standpoint, he's doing very well,’’ said Dr. Walter Lambert.

Victor asked for Pokemon cards. During an earlier visit, he asked for a hamburger – without mustard

**more at link**

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/02/23/2081442/authorities-digging-up-barahonas.html#


BBM - it made my heart happy to read about little V and how well he is progressing.

As for digging up the backyard - who knows what theyare looking for. Could be the original vat of whatever chemical this unusual person threw on these children. I heard again on the TV news that HRD dogs were brought in. Maybe they were looking to see where he kept poor Nubia before she ended up in the back of that pickup.

 

[CHICANA]

Bio dad wants to see his son. I'm on my phone so can't post link but if his name is spelled correctly in the reports he isn't on the so registry.

 

[Wise Old Owl]

Behind abused twins’ house, police dig for clues

BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER AND DIANA MOSKOVITZ
[email protected]
Beginning in early December, Jim Sheppard detected a hideous smell coming from the house next door, where Carmen and Jorge Barahona lived with four children they adopted from foster care. It smelled like something had died there.

Weeks later, the Sheppards could detect the faint smell of Pine Sol in addition to what appeared to be a “dead rat’’ odor, though Sheppard says his family never uses the cleaner.

On Sunday, Feb. 13, the smell of death disappeared

In other developments Wednesday:

• Victor and his siblings, a 7-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy, are in desperate need of dental care. Foster care administrators told Lederman the 7-year-old girl will require two root canals and two extractions, while the 11-year-old will require one root canal and an extraction. “All the children, including Victor, have gigantic craters’’ in their teeth, Lambert told the judge.


**more at link**

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/02/23/2081442/authorities-digging-up-barahonas.html#


I just don't know what to make of this. Was she killed around Christmas? Was it the old septic tank that they were looking at and was that where she was put? Why did he move her?

So many questions. Have to wait for the 11 o'clock news.

 

[CHICANA]

I checked the Florida DOC & it says he was convicted of abuse of a child. I checked Miami -Dade court records (docket entries) & it looks like he was found guilty of battery only 1/24/07 - the same day the sexual abuse charges were removed of modified. Does this mean the jury found him not guilty of the charges or that the state decided to drop that charge ? Went on Watchdog & bio dad is NOT on the list of offenders.
Jorge Barahona was listed as a witness at one point.

Biological Father Of Barahona Twins Speaks Out

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2011/02/22/biological-father-of-barahona-twins-speaks-out/#comment-15946

 

[Trident]

They can't admit they're wrong. If a caseworker finds abuse in the foster home, they're finding fault with the placement which was made by another caseworker & supervisor. I'm not explaining this well, but it's like telling your boss or the person responsible for your job security/paycheck they were wrong. With CPS, they would more or less be telling the higher-ups that they placed a child with a child molesting pervert. All politics & cover-ups. They don't want anything like that in writing.

That post made a lot of sense - made a light bulb go off in my brain. Methinks they need a hearing in Florida, complete with good information and common sense like you just offered.

Thanks.

 

[LCoastMom]

From W.O.O.'s ^^Link^^

The Herald has learned that the February 2008 psychological evaluation that paved the way for Victor and Nubia’s adoption may have been fundamentally flawed. A source told the newspaper that a Miami psychologist who evaluated the twins and the Barahonas had never been told that the couple had been the subject of three reports to the state’s abuse hotline, and that both school employees and a volunteer guardian-ad-litem had expressed serious concerns about the couple’s fitness to raise the children.

In court last week, DCF attorneys defended their decision to approve the adoption by citing the “glowing’’ psychological report, as well as a study of the Barahona home that was equally positive. Neither document has been released by the department.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/02/23/2081442/authorities-digging-up-barahonas.html#

So by DCF withholding evidence they are able to get others to do their bidding for them - of course the reports weren't really evidence because JB & CB denied the allegations each time and DCF decided very quickly they were unfounded.

While CHICANA's post makes very good sense, children are moved around in FC all the time - no reason given, at least that is my experience in CA.

There is something that I don't expect an answer to from DFS or their Blue Ribbon committee. These kids had FAMILY who wanted them. To my knowledge FAMILY is supposed to trump Foster Parents. For some reason DFS was not letting go. This is not the first time I have heard of this happening in FL - so what's up with that?

The B's neighbor thought he smelled a dead rat - I'm smelling something too and it is most unpleasant...

 

[CHICANA]

From W.O.O.'s ^^Link^^

The Herald has learned that the February 2008 psychological evaluation that paved the way for Victor and Nubia’s adoption may have been fundamentally flawed. A source told the newspaper that a Miami psychologist who evaluated the twins and the Barahonas had never been told that the couple had been the subject of three reports to the state’s abuse hotline, and that both school employees and a volunteer guardian-ad-litem had expressed serious concerns about the couple’s fitness to raise the children.

In court last week, DCF attorneys defended their decision to approve the adoption by citing the “glowing’’ psychological report, as well as a study of the Barahona home that was equally positive. Neither document has been released by the department.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/02/23/2081442/authorities-digging-up-barahonas.html#

So by DCF withholding evidence they are able to get others to do their bidding for them - of course the reports weren't really evidence because JB & CB denied the allegations each time and DCF decided very quickly they were unfounded.

While CHICANA's post makes very good sense, children are moved around in FC all the time - no reason given, at least that is my experience in CA.

There is something that I don't expect an answer to from DFS or their Blue Ribbon committee. These kids had FAMILY who wanted them. To my knowledge FAMILY is supposed to trump Foster Parents. For some reason DFS was not letting go. This is not the first time I have heard of this happening in FL - so what's up with that?

The B's neighbor thought he smelled a dead rat - I'm smelling something too and it is most unpleasant...

State's get money from the federal government for children in foster care. They get bonuses for every child adopted out of foster care. They don't want to lose that money by sending the kids to another state.

Let's not forget that the professionals, mental health and others are paid by the state. If the state doesn't get what they want, they'll use someone else the next time they need an expert opinion. If you work for an office of psychologists, you don't want to be the one to lose the client that refers that volume of 'patients'. The caseworkers also give their opinion of the case to the psych which of course is going to cause a biased evaluation.