Insets, left to right: Karla Garcia (New Britain Police Department), Jonatan Nanita (NBPD), Jacqueline "Mimi" Torres-Garcia (GoFundMe). Background: The abandoned house in New Britain, Conn., where the remains of Jacqueline "Mimi" Torres were found in a container outside (WTNH/YouTube).
A Connecticut mother got a 22-year-old woman to impersonate her murdered 11-year-old daughter to fool a Department of Children and Families caseworker after killing the homeschooled child and stowing her body away in a 40-gallon "tote" with help from her boyfriend, according to prosecutors. The 22-year-old allegedly told DCF that she was doing well in school, had friends, and FaceTimed her family regularly.
"The information that we are learning is incredibly disturbing," said Tim O'Keefe, attorney for the estate of victim Jacqueline "Mimi" Torres-Garcia, in a statement to local NBC affiliate WVIT and other media outlets.
The 22-year-old who impersonated Mimi testified in court Wednesday at a probable cause hearing for Jonatan Nanita, the boyfriend of Mimi's mother Karla Garcia, and described how she was a family friend of Karla's who allegedly had no idea that her daughter was dead, according to prosecutors.
The woman, identified by CT Insider as Jacklyn Goulet, said that her aunt is a distant relative of Garcia's and was asked to impersonate Mimi on a video call with the DCF caseworker in January 2025. Goulet said she was told that Mimi was living with a relative in another state.
During the DCF call, Goulet allegedly pretended that she was FaceTiming Garcia every single day and was getting good grades in school. She claimed that she was coached by the killer mom via pieces of paper that had the names and ages of Mimi's siblings written on it.
"I said I talked to them every day on the phone and that we FaceTimed," Goulet testified, per CT Insider.
Garcia and Nanita are both charged with murder for allegedly killing Mimi sometime in the fall of 2024.
Prosecutors say the child suffered "prolonged physical abuse and malnourishment prior to her death" and is believed to have been killed in the town of Farmington.
Garcia and Nanita allegedly kept the youngster's body "in the family's basement" — inside the tote — and then moved it after relocating to New Britain in March 2025. Mimi was living with the couple at the time and being homeschooled, which led to her disappearance going largely unnoticed, per police. The child's body weighed approximately 26 to 27 pounds when she was found.
In addition to killing Mimi, Garcia and Nanita are also accused of lying to state officials to get SNAP benefits for Mimi after they allegedly abused, murdered, and stowed away her body, which they tried hiding in a cemetery before dumping it at an abandoned house.
The Connecticut Department of Social Services alleges that Garcia and Nanita were receiving SNAP benefits — federal funds doled out as part of the government's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — throughout 2025 following the slaying, according to local CBS affiliate WFSB.
DSS investigators discovered that Garcia submitted SNAP renewal forms for herself and five children, including Mimi, in January 2025 and August 2025, officials said. She failed to report that Mimi was no longer part of her household and also did not report that Nanita was living with her.
Nanita, meanwhile, received SNAP benefits between Oct. 16, 2024, and October 2025 while claiming he was homeless, according to DSS.
WFSB reports that had the couple told the truth about their situation, they both would have had fewer benefits. The two of them allegedly signed paperwork acknowledging that they could be fined up to $250,000 and imprisoned for up to 20 years if they lied.
Garcia's sister, Jackelyn Garcia, 28, allegedly took part in the abuse of Mimi and spoke to cops about what she saw leading up to the girl's death, according to the arrest warrants. She is charged with risk of injury to a child, unlawful restraint, and child cruelty.
"Jackelyn admitted to seeing her niece zip tied on a couple of occasions," her arrest warrant said. "Jackelyn was asked how long Mimi was deprived of food and she stated she did not know but that when she last saw her, she was already skinny. Jackelyn was asked several times during this interview what happened. [Cops] informed Jackelyn that Mimi died in her bed from malnutrition from not eating for weeks. Jackelyn stated when she went to Farmington, she observed her skinny. Jackelyn further stated Mimi was always in the corner of the house and that the zip ties started at the 'end.'"
Detectives on Wednesday revealed more information about photos that Jackelyn allegedly had on her phone showing Mimi, along with details about how Mimi was found.
"In a fetal position, on the floor, with her hands zip-tied behind her back," a detective said about Mimi's condition in the alleged photos, according to WFSB. "Discoloration, bruising around both legs, thighs."
Another detective who described Mimi's condition when she was found inside the tote said, "I had to open up a garbage bag … A head and shoulders, human remains, head had dark hair." The detective added that Mimi "was purple" and "cold" to the touch.
"The family is committed to making sure that all responsible people and entities are held fully accountable for what occurred involving these two young children," O'Keefe said about Mimi's relatives and estate. The child's age was previously reported as 12 but updated to 11 following an autopsy report and documents filed by prosecutors.
Nanita was scheduled to appear Thursday for the second day of his probable cause hearing. Garcia is due in court Friday, along with Jackelyn Garcia.
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