TIM CHAPMAN
Florida officials announced Monday they are seeking the death penalty for Jorge and Carmen Barahona, the parents accused of murdering their 10-year-old daughter and severely injuring her twin brother. The Barahonas appeared in court Monday, where they faced first-degree murder charges, eight counts of aggravated child abuse, and eight counts of child neglect; Jorge was charged with an additional count of mutilation or abuse of a dead body. A road ranger found Barahona’s abandoned pest-control truck by the side of the road on February 14, and firefighters found Jorge Barahona passed out nearby and Nubia’s twin brother inside the truck suffering from third-degree burns from unknown chemicals. Under further inspection, environmental inspectors found Nubia’s decomposing body stuffed into a trash bag in the car. The case triggered a review of the state’s child-welfare system, as social workers had visited the family to investigate child-abuse claims only four days before Nubia’s death.