In the quiet, working-class neighborhoods of New Britain, Connecticut, where faded brick apartment buildings stand shoulder-to-shoulder and children play in shared courtyards under the watchful eyes of their parents, a horrifying discovery has shattered the fragile sense of community. Last week, on October 8, the remains of 12-year-old Jacqueline Torres-Garcia—affectionately known as “Mimi” to those who loved her—were found discarded like forgotten trash in a plastic storage bin behind an abandoned property on Clark Street. The grim find has not only ignited a firestorm of grief and outrage but has also peeled back layers of a disturbing family secret that spanned months of alleged abuse, a hidden body, and a web of deception that allowed a child’s death to go unnoticed for nearly a year.

Amid the swirling investigations and court proceedings, one voice has emerged from the shadows of the same apartment building where Mimi’s mother lived: Kimberly White, a 45-year-old neighbor who unwittingly formed a bond with Karla Garcia, the 32-year-old mother now charged with murder. In an exclusive interview with NBC Connecticut, White shared chilling text messages from Garcia, sent just days before her arrest, that reveal a mother’s desperate denial and lingering sorrow. These messages, verified through Garcia’s phone number by a family member, paint a picture of a woman grappling with the unimaginable—yet they raise more questions than answers about how a child’s life could slip through the cracks in such a devastating way.

White, who moved into the building in April, described her initial encounters with Garcia as casual and friendly. Their children quickly became inseparable; White’s son and Garcia’s surviving daughter were “like bread and butter,” she said, often darting between apartments for playdates. “We didn’t talk much, but we were cordial,” White recalled, her voice tinged with a mix of disbelief and heartbreak. “She seemed like a high-spirited young lady, not the monster they’re portraying now.” But as news of the body’s discovery spread like wildfire through the building’s hallways, White’s phone lit up with messages from Garcia that would haunt her.

One text, laden with raw emotion, read: “I didn’t put my daughter in that container and throw her like she’s a piece of trash.” Another confessed: “There’s nothing in this world that will ever make me accept the fact that she’s no longer here.” White, who felt a maternal pull toward the younger Garcia, admitted to wanting to help. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, this poor girl,’” she said. But the texts arrived amid whispers of a potential podcast episode the two had discussed— an eerie coincidence that now feels like a cry for absolution. White last saw Garcia on Sunday, October 13, mere hours before police swooped in for the arrest. “It’s disturbing, heartbreaking—so many words to describe what happened,” White lamented.

This neighbor’s account is just one thread in a tapestry of tragedy that has gripped New Britain and beyond. Mimi’s story is not merely a local crime headline; it’s a stark indictment of systemic failures, from lax homeschooling regulations to the silent complicity that can fester in dysfunctional families. As authorities piece together the puzzle, the details emerging from sealed arrest warrants and witness statements paint a portrait of prolonged suffering that no child should endure.

The Discovery: A Tip That Unveiled Horror

It all began with an anonymous tip—a whisper in the wind that led New Britain police to the overgrown lot on Clark Street. There, hidden among weeds and debris, was a large plastic bin, the kind typically used for holiday decorations or seasonal storage. Inside, wrapped in layers of concealment, were the decomposed remains of a young girl. Dental records and DNA confirmed her identity: Jacqueline Torres-Garcia, who would have turned 12 in January of this year. The date of her death? Investigators believe it occurred last fall, around October or November 2024, in a Farmington apartment where the family previously resided.

The bin’s location was no accident. Police allege that Mimi’s body had been secretly stored in the basement of the Farmington home for months before being transported to New Britain when the family relocated. Why move a body? Why not report the death? These questions hang heavy over the case, fueling speculation and demands for accountability. “This wasn’t just a death; it was a cover-up,” said one law enforcement source familiar with the investigation, speaking on condition of anonymity. The anonymous tipsters—later revealed to include a woman who stumbled upon the scene while exploring the abandoned property—described the moment of discovery as “surreal and sickening.” In a YouTube interview, one tipster recounted: “We were just poking around, and then… the smell. It was overwhelming. We knew something was terribly wrong.”

The Farmington connection adds another layer of intrigue. Police executed a search warrant on the former family apartment there, combing through remnants of a life interrupted. Neighbors in Farmington recall the Garcia family as reclusive, with little interaction beyond polite nods. “They kept to themselves,” one resident told reporters. “The kids were rarely seen outside.” This isolation, experts say, was a red flag that went unheeded.

The Suspects: A Family Fractured by Allegations

At the center of the storm is Karla Garcia, Mimi’s mother, whose life unraveled in a New Britain courtroom on October 14. Charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree unlawful restraint, risk of injury to a child, tampering with physical evidence, intentional cruelty to a child, and improper disposal of a dead body, Garcia appeared stoic as the judge set her bond at $5 million. Her boyfriend, Jonathan Nanita (also spelled Jonatan in some reports), faces identical charges, including second-degree murder and indignity to a body. Nanita, described by family as controlling and abusive, allegedly played a key role in the events leading to Mimi’s death.

Then there’s Jackelyn Garcia, Karla’s sister and Mimi’s aunt, charged with child cruelty, first-degree unlawful restraint, and risk of injury to a child. Her bond is set at $1 million. The sisters are due back in court on November 14, while Nanita’s next appearance is pending. Arrest warrants, sealed for 14 days, promise to reveal more harrowing details, but affidavits already hint at a pattern of “prolonged physical abuse and malnourishment.”

Mimi’s father, Victor Torres, who lives out of state and did not have custody, expressed shock in interviews. “I never imagined this,” he said, his voice breaking. Custody had shifted to Karla about three years ago, a decision now scrutinized by family and authorities alike. Yaxi Garcia, Karla’s great aunt (only 11 years her senior and a maternal figure in her upbringing), unleashed fury in court: “You’re a baby killer, you’re a pig, you’re disgusting. I hope you get what you deserve.” In an exclusive sit-down with WFSB, Yaxi questioned how Karla gained custody: “When I found out Karla had custody of Mimi, my jaw dropped. And I said, how?” She painted Nanita as a abuser who “beat Karla and did some crazy stuff to her,” suggesting the violence spilled over to the children.

The family dynamic was strained, with extended relatives drifting apart in recent years. Despite past vacations together, Mimi was increasingly isolated. “Karla didn’t let many people into Jacqueline’s life,” Yaxi said. “She wasn’t around the family.” This seclusion allowed the alleged abuse to thrive unchecked.

A Life Cut Short: Mimi’s World Before the Darkness

Who was Jacqueline “Mimi” Torres-Garcia? To her friends and teachers, she was a bright, giggling girl with a love for Roblox and simple joys. Jaydalisse Serrano, a childhood friend, remembered their playdates fondly: “When we were playing Roblox, she kept on dying in the game, so we kept on laughing together.” At a growing memorial on Clark Street—adorned with stuffed animals, cards, and flickering candles—Jaydalisse left tributes, her young voice trembling: “I feel really bad for her because I don’t think no kid should go through that.”

Mimi attended New Britain schools from kindergarten through fifth grade, where she was known as eager and kind. But last August, on what should have been her first day of sixth grade, Karla withdrew her, citing a move to Farmington and plans for homeschooling. This pivot, legal under Connecticut’s lax regulations, effectively erased Mimi from public view. She was never enrolled in Farmington schools, and no oversight checked on her well-being. “This is a known policy issue,” said Christina D. Ghio, Acting Child Advocate for Connecticut. “Some parents use the lack of oversight to isolate children, shield from reports, and neglect or abuse them.”

Advocates are now calling for reforms, pointing to Mimi’s case as a wake-up call. “How does a child vanish for a year without alarms?” asked one lawmaker. The Department of Children and Families (DCF), which now has custody of Mimi’s siblings, is reviewing its history with the family. “We are conducting a thorough review,” a DCF statement read, emphasizing the siblings’ safety.

The Neighbor’s Perspective: Texts That Echo Denial

Back in the apartment building, Kimberly White’s texts from Karla Garcia serve as a window into the accused’s mindset. Sent amid the chaos of the discovery, they blend defiance and despair. “I didn’t put my daughter in that container…”—a direct rebuttal to the allegations. Yet, the messages also reveal a mother’s grief: “Nothing will ever make me accept she’s gone.” White, reflecting on their friendship, struggles with the duality. “She didn’t seem capable of this,” she said. But as details of abuse emerge, White’s sympathy wanes. “It’s heartbreaking for the child, above all.”

White’s son, once playmates with Garcia’s daughter, now asks questions she can’t answer. “How do you explain this to a kid?” she pondered. The building itself feels tainted; residents whisper in elevators, avoiding eye contact with the empty apartment where Garcia lived.

Community Impact: Grief, Anger, and Calls for Change

New Britain, a city of about 74,000 with a rich industrial history, is no stranger to hardship. But Mimi’s death has mobilized the community. Vigils draw crowds, with speakers demanding justice and better protections for children. “This could happen anywhere,” said a local advocate. Memorials sprout not just on Clark Street but in parks and schools, symbols of a collective mourning.

Lawmakers are pushing for homeschooling reforms, including mandatory check-ins and reporting. “We can’t let another Mimi slip away,” Ghio urged. The case also highlights domestic violence’s ripple effects; Yaxi’s accounts of Nanita’s alleged abuse toward Karla suggest a cycle that engulfed the innocent.

As the investigation unfolds, with autopsy results pending, the sealed warrants loom like storm clouds. What horrors will they reveal? How deep did the neglect run? For now, the texts shared by a neighbor offer a poignant, if incomplete, glimpse into a mother’s fractured soul. But for Mimi, the bright-eyed girl who laughed at video games, justice must come swiftly—and the system must change to honor her memory.

In the end, this is more than a crime story; it’s a cautionary tale of invisibility in plain sight. As White put it: “So many words to describe what happened.” Heartbreaking, indeed.