Barahona investigators, officers honored

Video
Photo

Police officers, investigators honored in Palm Beach Garden

Photographer: WPTV
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Regular Photo Size

Posted: 05/10/2012

By: Alex Sanz

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. -

Some of the first police officers and investigators to respond to the February 14, 2011, discovery of 10-year-old twins Nubia and Victor Barahona in a truck along Interstate 95 in West Palm Beach were honored by ASIS International during a ceremony at PGA National Resort & Spa on Thursday.

Thomas Butler, a road ranger from the Florida Department of Transportation, told NewsChannel 5 in an exclusive interview that it was still difficult for him and the others at the ceremony to reflect on the case.

"It's kind of a touchy thing," he said. "I wish it didn't happen, you know? I mean, there are monsters out there, you know? Straight up monsters. What can you do? It's a child."

Butler was one of the first responders on the scene when the Barahona twins were found in their adoptive father's truck on Interstate 95 near Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard.

Authorities found the badly decomposing body of Nubia in the back of the truck.

Her brother, Victor , was passed out in a passenger seat covered in severe chemical burns.

Investigators later discovered an extensive history of abuse by their adoptive parents , Jorge and Carmen Barahona.

The first responders honored Thursday afternoon were credited with saving Victor and driving change in state child welfare policy.

"I try not to reflect on that case ," David Lefont, a sergeant with the West Palm Beach Police Department, told NewsChannel 5 in an exclusive interview. "It's hard to get an award for a case that's so gruesome and horrific. But, there's a lot more people involved in that case than just the folks who were up on the stage that were accepting the award."

Lefont said the department learned lessons from the case.

"Hopefully, we'll never have that happen again ," he said. "But, if we did, we would know where to start and where to end."

The Palm Beach Chapter of ASIS International presented the 5th Annual Law Enforcement Officers awards.

More than four hundred members of law enforcement from police and sheriff's offices in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties attended the ceremony.

Jorge and Carmen Barahona are jailed awaiting trial on murder charges.