Karla Garcia Arrested;- The mother of a 12-year-old girl, whose remains were discovered last week in a storage bin outside an abandoned house in Connecticut, has been charged in connection with her death, along with her boyfriend and sister.
Karla Garcia, 29, from New Britain, is currently being held on a $5 million bail and is expected to be arraigned on Tuesday. She faces multiple charges, including murder with special circumstances and conspiracy. It remains unclear whether she has secured legal representation.
The charges arise from the death of Jacqueline “Mimi” Torres Garcia, who authorities report endured “prolonged physical abuse and malnourishment” prior to her death last fall. Police located her remains on Wednesday in a container behind an abandoned residence after responding to reports of suspicious activity at the location.
Karla Garcia and her 28-year-old sister, Jackelyn Garcia, also from New Britain, were both arrested on Sunday. Karla Garcia’s boyfriend, 30-year-old Jonatan Nanita — who authorities suspect was the individual seen dropping off various items and a large storage bin at the home, prompting the 911 call last week — was apprehended on Monday night.
Nanita faces several charges, including murder with special circumstances and conspiracy, while Jackelyn Garcia is charged with unlawful restraint, risk of injury to a minor, and intentional cruelty to a person under 19 years of age. She is being held on a $1 million bail and is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday alongside her sister, while Nanita’s initial court appearance has yet to be scheduled.
As of Tuesday, it was unclear whether either Nanita or Jackelyn Garcia had obtained legal counsel.
During a news conference on Monday, New Britain Police Chief Matt Marino stated that officers discovered the child’s remains in an “advanced state of decomposition.” Authorities are still investigating to ascertain the time and location of her death, but they believe she may have died as far back as fall 2024 while her family resided in the nearby town of Farmington.
Investigators suspect that Jacqueline’s body was stored in the family’s basement before they moved to New Britain.
