The estate of Jacqueline “Mimi” Torres is seeking permission to sue the state Department of Children and Families for $100 million in connection with her death and the alleged abuse her sister reportedly suffered.
The paperwork filed Thursday with the Office of the Claims Commissioner is the first step in filing a lawsuit against DCF or any state agency. The claim was filed on behalf of Mimi’s estate following a probate hearing in New Britain.
Hartford-based attorney Timothy O’Keefe, who represents Jacqueline’s father, Victor Torres, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.
The notice of claim seeks to sue DCF for $75 million in connection with Jacqueline’s death and an additional $25 million tied to the alleged abuse her younger sister suffered. The notice alleges that the agency was negligent and failed to protect the children.
“We have not yet been formally notified of the claim and when it is received, we will assess it to determine the most appropriate course of action,” Ken Mysogland, bureau chief of external affairs at DCF, said in a statement.
Jacqueline’s remains were found in an advanced state of decomposition in a storage tote outside an abandoned home on Clark Street in New Britain in October. Investigators believe 30-year-old Jonatan Nanita dumped the tote after Jacqueline died in the fall of 2024 while the family was living in Farmington, before they relocated to New Britain.
Warrants detail alleged horror faced by 11-year-old as mom’s boyfriend gets more charges in death
Jacqueline’s mother, 29-year-old Karla Garcia, and Nanita, her former boyfriend, have each been charged with murder and other offenses in connection with the girl’s death. Garcia’s sister, 28-year-old Jackelyn Garcia, who lived with the family at one point, faces child endangerment and other related charges in connection with the abuse Jacqueline is believed to have endured prior to her death.
During interviews with police, Karla and Jackelyn Garcia allegedly told police Jacqueline would frequently be kept zip tied in the corner of a room without trips to the bathroom or food, according to the arrest warrants in the case. Karla Garcia allegedly told investigators the girl was not fed in the two weeks before she died, the warrants said.
Jacqueline’s remains weighed only 27 pounds when they were found, which a medical examiner determined was due to “severe malnourishment” before concluding that she died of fatal child abuse with starvation. Her death was ruled a homicide.
According to court documents and DCF, the agency immediately became involved with the family when Karla Garcia gave birth to Jacqueline while in a detention center in January 2013. Jacqueline lived with her paternal grandmother until she was 9 years old, court documents said.
CT chief medical examiner: Jacqueline ‘Mimi’ Torres died from fatal child abuse with starvation
Karla Garcia was first granted custody of Jacqueline in 2022, according to court records. Then in July 2023, Torres filed a custody application and alleged that Garcia was violating their joint custody agreement, court records show.
In April 2024, Karla Garcia sought sole custody of Jacqueline, according to court records. Just months before detectives believe Jacqueline was killed, Garcia was granted full custody of Jacqueline and her sister, court records show.
Karla Garcia had two children with Torres, as well as three children with Nanita.
DCF had multiple interactions with the family. During one of them in September 2022, the agency found that Jacqueline and the other children were safe and were reportedly unable to substantiate child abuse and neglect “or seek removal of the children from the home,” DCF said. The case was closed in November 2022.
In January, DCF received a report involving Jacqueline’s younger sister. According to DCF, the agency was duped into believing Jacqueline was still alive after conducting a video call with someone who Karla Garcia claimed was her daughter. That case was closed in March.
The criminal cases against Karla Garcia, Nanita and Jackelyn Garcia are pending in Superior Court in Torrington. All three suspects remain in custody.
