Mom, boyfriend accused of lying about 11-year-old girl’s death in order to continue receiving SNAP benefits

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. (WFSB/Gray News) — A Connecticut mother and her boyfriend charged with the murder of an 11-year-old girl are now accused of lying about the girl’s death to continue receiving SNAP benefits.

Karla Garcia, the mother of Jacqueline “Mimi” Torres-Garcia, and her boyfriend Jonatan Nanita are both charged with the girl’s murder. They are both now facing additional charges regarding the fraudulent SNAP benefits.

After Garcia’s arrest for Jacqueline’s murder in October 2025, police contacted the Department of Social Services, and a search of their system found Garcia was receiving SNAP benefits for Jacqueline and her four other children at the time.

Department of Social Services investigators said that Garcia began receiving SNAP benefits for her household in October 2020.

Police have determined, based on interviews and evidence, that Jacqueline likely died in September 2024.

But in January 2025 and in August 2025, Garcia submitted SNAP renewal forms, where she failed to report that Jacqueline was no longer a part of the household.

She also did not report that Nanita, her boyfriend, was a part of the household. The Department of Social Services said Nanita had been receiving his own SNAP benefits since October 2024, claiming he was homeless.

Officials said that while renewing their benefits, Garcia and Nanita both signed paperwork that acknowledged they could be fined up to $250,000 and imprisoned for up to 20 years for lying.

SNAP benefits for both Garcia and Nanita were suspended in October 2025 after their arrests.

The Department of Social Services said if Garcia had reported that Jacqueline was no longer part of the household, and that Nanita was living with her, the family would have received fewer benefits.

Ultimately, investigators determined Nanita received $2,886 in SNAP benefits that he was not eligible for. It’s unclear how much money in SNAP benefits Garcia received.

In addition to the murder charges, Garcia is now charged with conspiracy to commit larceny in the first degree by defrauding a public community and Nanita is charged with larceny in the first degree by defrauding a public community. Both are also charged with two counts of making a false statement.

The death investigation began in October 2025 when an anonymous tip led to the discovery of Jacqueline’s remains in a 40-gallon container outside of an abandoned home in New Britain, Connecticut.

In initial police interviews, Garcia and Nanita both suggested that the other person may have killed Jacqueline. Both were arrested.

The girl’s aunt, Jackelyn Garcia, was also arrested in the case. She was charged with intentional cruelty, among other charges.

The medical examiner determined that Jacqueline may have been dead for a year before her body was found. Garcia later confirmed this, telling police her daughter died on Sept. 19, 2024.

In further interviews with police, Garcia admitted that she and Nanita mistreated Jacqueline because the girl was “bad” and “didn’t respect them.” She said she would apply zip ties to her daughter and withhold food.

Garcia told police that she and Nanita stopped feeding Jacqueline two weeks prior to her death.

The medical examiner ruled Jacqueline’s death a homicide by deadly child abuse with starvation.

Jacqueline’s biological father said he plans to file a $100 million lawsuit against the Department of Children and Families for negligence.

The documents allege that the department was negligent in background checks, safety checks, supervision and case management relating to Jacqueline.

The Department of Children and Families had been involved in Jacqueline’s life since she was born. They said Garcia was being held in a detention facility when she gave birth to Jacqueline.