Chilling new information is coming to light about the death of a 12-year-old Connecticut girl whose remains were discovered in a plastic storage bin after she had been missing for more than a year.
According to recently released arrest and search warrants cited by the Associated Press, Jacqueline “Mimi” Torres-Garcia was allegedly denied food for two weeks and was frequently restrained with zip ties before she died.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined her death to be a homicide caused by fatal child abuse and starvation, as reported by NBC Connecticut.
An affidavit reviewed by investigators states that the child weighed only 26 to 27 pounds at the time of her death. Despite being missing for an extended period, authorities say she was never reported missing, according to WWNY.
On Oct. 8, New Britain Police responded to suspicious activity at an abandoned property, New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart explained during an Oct. 13 press conference. Officers located a large container behind the building, which was later confirmed to contain human remains, Police Chief Matthew Marino said.
The remains were identified as Torres-Garcia. Investigators believe she died in fall 2024 while living with her family in Farmington, Farmington Public Safety Director Paul Melanson said. When the family relocated in March 2025, they allegedly brought the remains with them.
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Inside a 40-gallon bin, officers found the child’s body enclosed in a plastic bag and wrapped in a comforter and sheets inside a laundry basket, according to the affidavit.
On Oct. 12, the victim’s mother, Karla Garcia, 29, was arrested and charged with murder with special circumstances, conspiracy to commit murder with special circumstances, improper disposal of a body, and intentional cruelty to a child under 19.
She has pleaded not guilty and is being held on a $5 million bond.
That same day, the child’s aunt, 28-year-old Jackelyn Garcia, was charged with intentional cruelty to a child, risk of injury to a child, and first-degree unlawful restraint. She has pleaded not guilty and is being held on a $1 million bond.
Karla Garcia’s former boyfriend, Jonatan “JoJo” Nanita, 30, was taken into custody on Oct. 13 on a felony arrest warrant, according to a statement from New Britain police posted on Facebook. Authorities accuse him of participating in the killing alongside Garcia. He was later additionally charged with tampering with evidence and improper disposal of a body.
Nanita pleaded not guilty and is currently held on $5 million bond for the original charges and $750,000 for the later charges, according to online jail records.
Investigators allege Nanita transported the container with the remains and left it at the New Britain property. An affidavit states his current girlfriend told police she witnessed him retrieving a bin from a cemetery in late September, placing it in his vehicle, and leaving it behind the abandoned building. She reportedly said the container smelled foul and suspected a body was inside.
All three defendants appeared in court Friday. Karla Garcia is due back on Dec. 19, her sister on Dec. 12, and Nanita on Dec. 16.
Attorneys for the defendants have not responded to requests for comment.
