NEW BRITAIN, CT – In a disturbing revelation from New Britain, a local woman and her boyfriend have been arrested under shocking allegations involving the murder of the woman’s 12-year-old daughter and subsequent fraudulent activities. Officials disclosed that the minor was reportedly killed in September 2024, yet fraudulently claimed as alive for obtaining state benefits.
According to law enforcement authorities, the couple, identified as Karla Garcia and Jonatan Nanita, continued to improperly collect public assistance reserved for Jacqueline “Mimi” Torres-Garcia long after her tragic demise. Detailed investigation by the Connecticut Department of Social Services highlighted false submissions in recertification of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) documents continuing through August 2025, deceitfully including the child as a household member.
The case deepened with further implications as Jonatan Nanita is alleged to have separately procured SNAP benefits by misrepresenting himself as homeless from October 2024 through October 2025. Both individuals publicly acknowledged the legal risks, including potential imprisonment, associated with the falsification of information to acquire public aid, per officials.
The grim discovery of Jacqueline’s remains in a concealed plastic container at an abandoned property initiated the unraveling of the case. Authorities believe that the prolonged abuse and neglect led to her death, which was followed by efforts to hide her body, first in the couple’s basement and subsequently moving it several times.
Prior to her death, Jacqueline reportedly endured severe isolation and malnutrition as she was homeschooled and kept away from external social contacts. When her body was eventually found, the extent of her starvation was so severe that she weighed only 27 pounds, and her condition was described as having skin that clung tightly to her skeletal frame.
During police interrogations, the narratives provided by Garcia and Nanita varied significantly. Garcia attributed the last sighting of her daughter to a contentious altercation, post which Nanita reportedly escalated the situation to violence. The unbearable stench from where the child’s body was concealed drove them to temporarily reside in hotels and other temporary accommodations.
Adding to the horrific scene, Garcia’s sister, Jackelyn Garcia, is also entangled in the case. She faces several charges after admitting to witnessing and photographing the child in distressing conditions, revealing that she saw Jacqueline restrained with zip ties and deprived of food on multiple instances.
Law enforcement documents exposed that Jacqueline was confined to a corner, experiencing routine torment, with one incident recalling her being harshly picked up and moved downstairs after an accident, leading to her cries which were last heard in that grievous condition.
As part of an alleged cover-up attempt, the accused are said to have initially placed Jacqueline’s body in a storage tote and left it in a cemetery, later moving it to a vacant house as the conditions at the original hideout deteriorated.
Karla Garcia and Jonatan Nanita currently face charges including murder, conspiracy to commit larceny, making false statements, and defrauding a public community. Investigations continue as authorities probe deeper into the tragic events leading to Jacqueline’s death and the possibility of additional criminal activities. All suspects remain detained pending further court proceedings, stirring conversations about child safety and system abuses within the community.