The state鈥檚 child welfare agency says it had no indication Jacqueline 鈥淢imi鈥� Torres Garcia was starved or physically abused by family members in the years before her death, despite investigating other reports about her siblings.
Under a , the 黑料吃瓜网 Department of Children and Families (DCF) is required to release information to the public about how it handled certain cases involving kids who die or suffer near fatalities.
Those disclosures must include a description of any previous reports the agency received, and the findings of its investigations, if the information is relevant to the type of harm that led to the child鈥檚 death.
While DCF had numerous interactions with the family of Torres Garcia, the agency last week denied a request from 黑料吃瓜网 for more information about those incidents.
DCF spokesperson Ken Mysogland said the reports the department received are not relevant to Torres Garcia鈥檚 death because they either did not pertain to her directly, or did not allege malnourishment or physical abuse of a child, which police have cited as factors in her death, he said.
"We did not see anything relating to Jacqueline that indicated cruel or unusual punishment or physical abuse," Mysogland said.
Warrant: Girl denied food, restrained
DCF has received criticism and calls for greater transparency since Torres Garcia鈥檚 remains were discovered earlier this month. New Britain police found the 11-year-old鈥檚 body Oct. 8 inside a storage bin after receiving a report of suspicious activity at an abandoned property in the city.
The girl's mother and her mother's boyfriend have been charged with her murder. An aunt was also charged with unlawful restraint, risk of injury to a minor and intentional cruelty to a person under 19 years old.
A search warrant application filed in court shows the girl鈥檚 mother allegedly told police Torres Garcia was restrained with zip ties and denied food before her death. An autopsy revealed there were no signs of recent trauma or injuries to her body that would have contributed to her death, though she appeared to be malnourished, the warrant application states.
Investigators believe Torres Garcia likely died in fall 2024 while the family lived in Farmington. Police said family members kept her death a secret, allegedly storing her body in a basement and then moving it when they relocated several months later.
'Everybody is asking how and why'
In an interview last week, New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart said the case reveals weaknesses in the state鈥檚 safety net for children. In particular, Stewart questioned why past criminal conduct by the adults in Torres Garcia鈥檚 life didn鈥檛 receive more scrutiny.
鈥淭his case completely fell through the cracks of state regulatory oversight and everybody is asking how and why,鈥� she said.
Hearst 黑料吃瓜网 Media reported previously that the girl鈥檚 mother, Karla Garcia, was of third-degree assault, and received a suspended sentence and two years of probation.
Karla Garcia nevertheless regained guardianship over Torres Garcia and a younger sibling several years later. Up until that point, the children had been living with a paternal grandmother.
Karla Garcia then gained sole custody of the children in June 2024. DCF said it had no involvement in the custody case. Neither the family鈥檚 history with DCF, nor Karla Garcia鈥檚 criminal record were discussed in court when a judge rendered his decision. An audio recording shows the hearing lasted less than 10 minutes.
Torres Garcia鈥檚 aunt, Jackelyn Garcia, told police she also lived with the family around that time when they relocated from New Britain to Farmington, court records show.
Jackelyn Garcia previously lost custody of her own children after DCF received a report of injuries to her infant daughter, court records show. Jackelyn Garcia was charged in 2023 with assault and risk of injury to a child, and later served time in prison, court records show.
'The public has a right to know'
黑料吃瓜网 lawmakers last year accepted a from the Office of the Child Advocate (OCA) to codify language in state law requiring DCF to disclose case information when parental abuse or neglect leads to a child鈥檚 death or near fatality.
The law mirrors that require states to release certain information when a child who received state services dies from abuse or neglect.
The recommendation is one of several OCA made to enhance oversight of DCF's work following an investigation into the , whose body was found buried in a park in Stamford.
OCA is now investigating the circumstances surrounding Torres Garcia鈥檚 death. The review will include evaluating whether DCF complied with its requirements under state and federal law to disclose information to the public, according to Acting Child Advocate Christina Ghio.
Doing so is an important accountability measure for child welfare agencies, Ghio said.
鈥淭he public has a right to know how our state agencies are serving children,鈥� she said.
