Local News
The girl’s mother, who is facing a murder charge, allegedly told her sister that her daughter died in September of 2024 after two weeks of starvation.
A 12-year-old girl whose remains were found in a storage container earlier this month in Connecticut was starved for weeks and restrained with zip ties as punishment, according to local reports citing newly released court documents.
The remains of Jacqueline Torres-Garcia, known as Mimi, were found outside an abandoned house in New Britain. She likely died in the fall of 2024 while her family was living in Farmington. Evidence suggests she suffered “prolonged” physical abuse and malnourishment before she died, according to Farmington police.
Her mother, Karla Garcia, and her mother’s boyfriend, Jonatan Nanita, are facing charges related to her murder, including murder with special circumstances and unlawful restraint. Her aunt, Jackelyn Garcia, is also facing charges, including unlawful restraint.
No pleas have been entered as of Tuesday night, according to court records.
Warrant: Mother told sister her daughter died after two weeks of starvation
Jackelyn Garcia sent her sister a photo of the child restrained in zip ties and lying on a pee pad, according to the warrants for Jackelyn and Karla Garcia’s phones obtained by NBC Connecticut and the Connecticut Mirror. Karla allegedly told her sister that Torres-Garcia died Sept. 19, 2024.
Karla Garcia planned to go on a podcast to share the story of what happened to her daughter, the report said, and wrote notes on her phone about her remarks.
Torres-Garcia’s mother told police Oct. 9 that she and Nanita had stopped feeding her around two weeks before her death last year, according to NBC. Karla Garcia admitted to restraining her daughter with zip ties as a punishment, most of which were under the direction of Nanita, per reports.
Jackelyn Garcia told police that she saw patterns of abuse in the months leading up to the death of Torres-Garcia, including her being confined to a corner of a room, restrained with zip ties, and not being fed, according to the arrest warrants obtained. The child tried to run away twice, but was caught and punished.
Nanita allegedly brought the child’s body to the basement after her death, Karla Garcia allegedly told police. Due to the smell of the decaying body, the family stayed with friends or at hotels before choosing to move, according to the reported court docs.
When the couple moved to their new address in March, Torres-Garcia’s body was moved to a tote and left behind a home on Clark Street in New Britain. Warrants for Karla and Jacelyn Garcia are redacted and don’t name Torres-Garcia, according to NBC, but report that the victim showed no sign of trauma or injuries that could have contributed to her death. The report notes she appeared malnourished.
After allegations were made against Karla Garcia and her treatment of a younger sibling, Torres-Garcia, who was homeschooled, was allegedly seen over a video call with the Department of Children and Families, according to the Mirror, months after she reportedly died. Previously, DCF said she was placed as a baby with a relative, where she stayed until she was 9.
“She was my love. She was everything for me,” Felix Osorio, her grandfather, previously told NBC Connecticut.
Connecticut DCF and the state’s Office of the Child Advocate did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday night.
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