exposing the dark side of adoption
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UPDATE:Barretos plead not guilty to new charges

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NEW ALBANY - Janet and Ramon Barreto, shackled and handcuffed in a justice court hearing Thursday, pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter by culpable negligence in the death of their 2-year-old adopted daughter, Enna.

Their attorney, Tony Farese of Ashland, actually pronounced the words "not guilty" for them before Judge Ronnie Rackestraw. The entire hearing took less than two minutes.

Their bond was set at $100,000 each.

They have been in jail more than a month, on $350,000 bond each, on seven charges of child endangerment after their daughter's death from head trauma.

Janet Barreto's 17-year-old biological daughter, Marainna Torres, is in custody in an undisclosed location accused of capital murder in the child's death. She only recently was released from a Memphis psychiatric hospital, where she was admitted immediately after Enna died.

The couple, who have one biological child between them, are adoptive parents to six other children, all believed to be from Guatemala.

The Barretos are scheduled for a preliminary hearing Aug. 5 in Union County Circuit Court.

Ena died May 19 in a Memphis hospital after family members said she fell from a shopping cart on a family outing.

The six adopted children are in foster homes in custody of the Mississippi Department of Human Services.

2008 Jun 26