Video footage released by police shows the moments the three suspects were arrested in connection with the death of Jacqueline “Mimi” Torres and from days earlier, when her mother sought protection at a police station.
The body camera footage shows police after they tracked down 30-year-old Jonatan Nanita to a neighborhood in Waterbury on Oct. 13, and a day earlier when Jacqueline’s mother and aunt, 29-year-old Karla Garcia and 28-year-old Jackelyn Garcia, were taken into custody at their New Britain residence.
Video was also released from inside the New Britain Police Department where Karla Garcia sought protection on Oct. 8, the same day Jacqueline’s remains were discovered in a storage tote outside an abandoned home on Clark Street. Karla Garcia and her boyfriend, who have three children together, have been charged in Jacqueline’s murder, according to police. Karla Garcia’s sister, Jackelyn Garcia, faces charges in connection with the abuse investigators believe the girl suffered before she died in September 2024.
CT chief medical examiner: Jacqueline ‘Mimi’ Torres died from fatal child abuse with starvation
According to the arrest warrant affidavits in the case, Karla and Jackelyn Garcia allegedly admitted to investigators that Jacqueline would be zip tied and not given food as a form of punishment and that she would be kept restrained for so long that she would urinate and defecate on herself. Karla Garcia allegedly told police she did not feed the girl in the two weeks leading up to her death, the warrant affidavits said.
Jacqueline’s remains were found to weigh about 27 pounds when they were discovered, which a medical examiner attributed to “severe malnourishment” and not the state of decay the body was in, investigators wrote in the warrant affidavits. Police believe her body was kept in the family’s basement in Farmington and taken with them when they relocated to New Britain earlier this year. Police also allege Nanita took the remains to a cemetery in New Britain before ditching them outside a boarded up home.
The release of the footage tied to the arrests comes after the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner last week ruled that Jacqueline died of fatal child abuse with starvation. Her death was ruled a homicide.
Surveillance footage released from the New Britain Police Department shows Karla Garcia being walked into the station along with an officer the same day her daughter’s remains were discovered. As the pair enter the lobby area shortly after 10 p.m. an officer can be heard saying, “It’s safer. It’s definitely safer here.”
The officer can then be seen telling someone at the front window he had Karla Garcia with him but that she was not being arrested.
“I just got her out of there because they were trying to get to her,” the officer says. “They were, like, banging on my windows trying to break them to get to her.”
Garcia then tells the person behind the window she was being chased by multiple people with guns.
“They’ve been chasing me for like a whole hour,” Garcia says, only identifying the individuals as “these kids, bro,” the footage shows.
Warrants detail alleged horror faced by 11-year-old as mom’s boyfriend gets more charges in death
A video posted to social media shortly after Jacqueline’s remains were found shows what appears to be family members questioning Karla Garcia about the girl and where she was as officers handcuffed her.
“The whole family just showed up on Tremont Street,” an officer can be heard saying in one of the videos released by police.
In the lobby of the police department, Karla Garcia tells officers her children were with a family member. An officer then reiterates to her that she was not under arrest and that she was brought to the police department to get her out of “that dangerous situation.”
“I’m not safe,” Karla Garcia says, the video shows.
“Well, I’m saying right now you are,” the officer responds.
“But if I leave here I’m not safe,” Karla Garcia says.
“And I don’t want to go because I’m not gonna be safe,” she says. “Do you want them to kill me?”
Karla Garcia then acknowledges that she is not under arrest, insisting she “didn’t do nothing,” but says she is ready to speak to investigators, according to the police footage.
She then repeats that she has kids and that she was chased by people with guns, the footage shows. She also appears to tell the officer she believes the individuals who were chasing her were headed to where she dropped off her children.
“If something happens to my kids I’m gonna really have a, like, anxiety attack,” Karla Garcia says, the footage shows.
Bodycam video shows police with CT couple accused of killing 11-year-old. Her body was downstairs.
When asked about the children and the age of the oldest, Karla Garcia hesitates and lets out a deep breath before saying “12,” according to the footage.
“Who’s 12?” an officer asks.
“Jacqueline,” Karla Garcia responds.
Karla Garcia then asks for her sister, telling an officer she is Jackelyn Garcia’s sponsor and that she is on parole.
“They were trying to attack her,” Karla Garcia says, the footage shows. “They really pulled up on me.”
When asked why anyone would be after her, Karla Garcia alleges that she’s not sure, according to the footage.
“They said some (expletive) but I really wasn’t paying attention,” she says, adding that she was only worried about her kids.
Karla Garcia then tells the officer she was with a friend when the individuals began chasing her and that they later boxed her in at a gas station. After being informed once again she was not under arrest and is free to leave, Karla Garcia agrees to speak to investigators “upstairs.”
“What happens upstairs?” she asks, the footage shows. “Are you guys gonna arrest me up there?”
“No, they’re just gonna talk to you,” an officer tells her.
“I’m scared,” Karla Garcia says.
The video cuts off as she makes her way to another area of the police department.
Emotions high as aunt, mother and boyfriend face judge in death of girl found in bin outside CT home
Body camera footage from multiple officers who apprehended Nanita was also released. The clips begin as officers are in a struggle with him on the ground.
“My arm, my face,” Nanita says, moaning in apparent pain, the footage shows. “My face, my face. I can’t feel my face, I’m bleeding.”
Nanita identifies himself to police before alleging that they beat him and insisting that he was going to turn himself in, according to the footage.
“Turn yourself in?” an officer says. “A little late, a little late for that.”
“I didn’t even do that to that girl, bro,” Nanita says, the footage shows. “I didn’t.”
“I’m over here trying to clear my name,” Nanita says before an officer approaches him and tells him to “shut the (expletive) up.”
“You’ll have your time to talk, buddy,” another officer tells him.
Nanita then tells police he was going to turn himself in “tomorrow” before officers question why he took off from them earlier. Later on in the exchange, he proclaims to officers, “I’m innocent.
Video released by investigators also shows the moments New Britain police served a warrant on Nanita charging him with tampering with physical evidence and disposal of a body. He agrees to give his fingerprints but refuses to sign a piece of paperwork, according to the footage.
“I’m not trying to be rude or anything, I wanna cooperate, but I’m not signing that,” Nanita says.
Nanita also questions why he is facing the charges that were levied against him but is told by the booking officer that he does not have specific information about the investigation.
Video showing investigators arresting Karla and Jackelyn Garcia at their New Britain residence show that Karla Garcia, who was on the phone at the time, did not speak as police handcuffed her. Jackelyn Garcia appears shocked as an officer tells her she is under arrest.
“For what?” she asks, the footage shows.
Nanita and Karla Garcia each face charges of murder with special circumstances, conspiracy to commit murder, intentional cruelty to a child and other charges. Investigators have accused the pair of killing the young girl.
Jackelyn Garcia faces charges of intentional cruelty to a child under 19 years old, first-degree unlawful restraint and risk of injury to a minor. All three suspects are being held in custody as their cases remain pending in Superior Court in Torrington.
