The death of an 11-year-old girl whose remains were found this month — about a year after police believe she was killed — has renewed a debate over Connecticut homeschooling regulations.
Connecticut
Connecticut child’s death that went unnoticed for a year renews debate on homeschooling regulations
Investigators are still trying to determine precisely when Jacqueline “Mimi” Torres-Garcia was killed, police say. The 11-year-old’s remains were found in a bin behind an abandoned house in New Britain. Jacqueline’s mother, Karla Garcia, and her boyfriend, Jonatan Nanita, have been charged with murder. Garcia’s sister, Jackelyn Garcia, faces charges that include cruelty to a child under 19.
Jacqueline “Mimi” Torres-Garcia’s remains were found behind an abandoned New Britain home on Oct. 8 after police say her family hid her decomposing body for about a year. The girl’s death went unnoticed because she was no longer enrolled in school and the state Department of Children and Families said her mother had another child pose as her during a virtual visit months after she is believed to have died.
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The girl’s mother, Karla Garcia, and the woman’s boyfriend, Jonatan Nanita, have each been charged with murder with special circumstances, conspiracy to commit murder, intentional cruelty to a child under age 19, unlawful restraint and risk of injury. Garcia also is charged with tampering with physical evidence and illegal disposal of a body. The woman’s sister, Jackelyn Garcia, is charged with intentional cruelty to a child, first-degree unlawful restraint and risk of injury to a minor.
Connecticut officials who oversee agencies connected with child protection and safety say the 11-year-old’s death is the latest example of why they believe the state needs regulations on homeschooling.
“The Center for Children’s Advocacy strongly supports parents’ constitutionally protected right to direct the education of their child, including the right to provide a home-based education,” said Sarah Eagan, the agency’s executive director. “In Connecticut, despite our compulsory education and attendance laws, school districts do not engage in any inquiry or follow up on children that are permanently removed from school for the stated purpose of homeschooling. Most states have follow-up, record keeping, or other requirements related to withdrawn and homeschooled children. CCA strongly recommends that lawmakers urgently address this public policy matter as it directly impacts the safety and wellbeing of certain children.”
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An online petition started by Bridgeport resident Los Fidel is lobbying for the creation of “Mimi’s Law” to ensure “no child disappears unnoticed again.” As of Monday morning, the petition on change.org had gathered more than 13,000 signatures.
However, the leader of a homeschooling advocacy organization said in a news release that the “offense date” of June 21, 2024 listed in Connecticut court records for Karla Garcia indicates the child was killed more than a month before her mother withdrew her from public school.
Attorney Deborah G. Stevenson, founder of National Home Education Legal Defense LLC, said that means complaints about homeschooling and the child being out of the public eye when she was allegedly abused and killed are baseless.
Farmington police said the June offense dates listed for Karla Garcia and her two co-defendants reflect only the start of a time range for the crimes because investigators are still trying to determine precisely when the girl was killed. Arrest warrants in the case have been sealed until next week.
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Search warrants that were obtained by Farmington police indicate they believe the child’s alleged abuse was witnessed by Jackelyn Garcia between June and August 2024 when she was living with the family for periods of time. Karla Garcia told her sister that the girl died on Sept. 19, 2024, weeks after she filed to have the child homeschooled, according to the documents.
Police say the girl suffered “prolonged physical abuse” and “malnourishment.” In the search warrants, police said Karla Garcia “stopped feeding” the child in the weeks before she died and that the girl was restrained with zip ties.
The offense dates for all of Jackelyn Garcia’s charges are listed in court records as June 1, 2024. Offense dates for all charges against Karla Garcia and Nanita are listed as June 21, 2024.
Jacqueline attended New Britain schools from kindergarten through fifth grade, according to New Britain Superintendent of Schools Tony Gasper. On Aug. 26, 2024, which would have been Jacqueline’s first day of sixth grade, Karla Garcia filed an official Notification of Withdrawal from the school district, stating her daughter’s new address would be in Farmington, Gasper said. On that same day, Garcia filed a Notice of Intent: Instruction of Student at Home form with the district, he said.
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Stevenson said the outcry about homeschooling after crimes against children, including a Waterbury man who says he was held captive in his home since he was removed from school as a child, “is nothing new” and is an excuse to force more regulation of at-home education.
Connecticut’s homeschooling laws are looser than in neighboring states. A recent report by the Office of Legislative Research says Connecticut’s homeschooling framework largely relies on voluntary guidelines rather than on state statute — making it an outlier compared to nearby states that solidify rules around notice and record-keeping under the law.
Although there are rules around withdrawing children from school, Connecticut does not legally require any notification from parents before homeschooling their children, according to the report. There are also no state laws around required home record-keeping, annual assessments or enforcement or intervention mechanisms if homeschooling requirements are not met, the report noted.
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Advocates say this lack of regulation has allowed some parents to withdraw their children from school, isolate their children, shield themselves from reports to the state’s child welfare agency and neglect or abuse their children. State guidelines recommend parents file notice of intent to homeschool with the local board of education, but it is not mandated by law, according to the report.
Connecticut
Florida High School State Bronze Medalist Dajah German Verbals To Connecticut For Fall 2027
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Florida high school state bronze medalist Dajah German has announced her verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of Connecticut beginning in the fall of 2027. She publicized the news on SwimCloud, writing:
I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Connecticut! I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who has supported me throughout this journey, my family, coaches, teammates, and friends who have pushed me to be my best throughout the years. And a very special thank you to Coach Chris and Coach Nicole for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I’m so excited for what’s ahead. GO HUSKIES!
A rising senior at Fort Lauderdale High School in Florida, German trains year-round with Swim Fort Lauderdale and primarily specializes in the sprint and middle-distance freestyle events.
German has improved each year of her high school career, most recently dropping from 23.78, 51.39, and 1:50.56 in the 50/100/200 free to 23.54, 51.35, and 1:49.69 during the 2025-26 short course season.
German’s top meet of the season was the Florida Senior Championships in March, where she recorded her current PBs in both the 50 and 200 free. She finished second in the 500 free (4:55.94) and 1650 free (17:02.78), third in both the 50 free and 200 free, and fifth in the 100 free (51.43). She set her current 100 free PB at a smaller holiday meet in December. In the 500 free, she clocked a season-best 4:55.21 at the Speedo Cup in January, with her lifetime best of 4:53.19 coming at the 2025 Florida Senior Championships.
German has qualified for the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) State Championships for the past three years, with her top performance coming at the 2025 iteration in November. She placed third in the 50 free (23.96), fifth in the 500 free (5:01.12), and helped Fort Lauderdale to fourth place in both the 200 free relay (24.64 leadoff) and 400 free relay (53.08 anchor).
Top SCY Times:
- 50 Freestyle: 23.54
- 100 Freestyle: 51.35
- 200 Freestyle: 1:49.69
- 500 Freestyle: 4:53.19
A Division I Mid-Major program, Connecticut competes in the Big East, with the women’s team placing second out of seven teams at this past season’s conference championships. German’s current lifetime bests would have placed third in the 200 free, fourth in the 500 free, eighth in the 50 free, and ninth in the 100 free, setting her up as an immediate contributor with two full seasons of training still ahead before her first conference meet.
German joins Anna Mumford, Lyla Devlin, Lena Brown, and Louisa Holda in committing to the Huskies’ class of 2031 so far.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to [email protected].
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Here are the forecast details for northern Connecticut via the National Weather Service:
Today: Sunny, with a high near 80. Light west wind increasing to 6 to 11 mph in the morning.
Tonight: Partly cloudy, with a low around 56. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Monday: A chance of showers before 2pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 2pm and 4pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 76. Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Monday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 59. Southeast wind around 8 mph becoming southwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
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