Barahona Attempted Murder Case Moved To Miami-Dade County

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- The Miami man accused of trying to kill his adopted son in Palm Beach County will be able to fight the charges closer to home.

On Tuesday, a judge handling the case of Jorge Barahona signed an order moving the case to Miami-Dade County where he is also facing a murder charge for the death of his adopted daughter - Nubia Barahona - who was also adopted with her twin brother Victor.

According to the Sun-Sentinel, the 58-year old former pest exterminator said Monday he had no problem with the attempted murder trial being moved.

The move cancels the high-profile trial that was set for late July in West Palm Beach - a few miles away from where police made a startling discovery in 2011 that landed Barahona and his wife Carmen behind bars.

Officers discovered Victor and Nubia, both 10, in their adoptive father's truck on the side of I-95. Nubia's decomposing body was wrapped in plastic in the bed of the truck and Victor was barely conscious, convulsing with chemical burns.

Authorities said both children had been doused with toxic chemicals.

Barahona was found passed out on the ground on the side of the highway near the Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard exit.

Victor survived the incident.

The case involving the Barahona twins made national headlines - prompting the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to come under fire during the police investigation.

Nubia and Victor were adopted by the Barahonas in 2009 after living in their home since 2004. The kids, authorities discovered, had endured starvation, beatings, medical neglect and they had been tied and forced to stay in a bathtub.

Critics said the department failed to piece together warning signs from medical professionals and school officials that something was wrong in the Barahona home. A Blue Ribbon task force was charged with looking into DCF's handling of the case. The agency blamed it on a system-wide failure, including poor judgment by child protective investigators, overwhelming caseload and missed opportunities at every turn. Since then the department has made various changes in their policy. 

Jorge and Carmen Barahona are both charged with first-degree murder for the death of Nubia.

The move from West Palm Beach will mean that Jorge's murder and attempted murder charges will be heard in Miami-Dade County. His next hearing is set for August 4th.