Connecticut child’s death that went unnoticed for a year renews debate on homeschooling regulations

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.

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.

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 Most states have follow-up, record keeping, or other requirements related to withdrawn and homeschooled children.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.” 

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.

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.

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.

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.