A pair of high-ranking Democratic lawmakers chastised the Connecticut Department of Children and Families Thursday for its handling of the case of a former New Britain girl who was allegedly abused and murdered by family members.
In a joint statement, the House and Senate chairs of the legislative Committee on Children directed blame at the state’s child welfare agency for failing to protect Jacqueline “Mimi” Torres Garcia, whose remains were discovered last week in the city.
The Department of Children and Families (DCF) was involved with the family of Torres Garcia, though little information about the agency’s role has been publicly released.
In their statement, state Sen. Ceci Maher and state Rep. Corey Paris provided no additional information, but expressed anger at DCF for its handling of the case, calling the death of Torres Garcia a “horrific situation” that “should not have happened.”
“As we learn more, it is becoming apparent that the Department of Children and Families failed her; DCF has one of the most important roles in our state and when it accepts less than 110%, our most vulnerable children are left in harm's way, with children like Jacqueline suffering the consequences,” the statement reads. “It's clear that DCF did not meet the moment here, and we need answers as to how and why this happened, as well as assurances that we can make certain it never happens again."
Questions about DCF’s contact with the family emerged after New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart said Monday that the agency had previously been involved with the girl’s family.
Torres Garcia attended public schools in New Britain from kindergarten through fifth grade. Her mother withdrew Torres Garcia from the school system on Aug. 26, 2024, the first day of sixth grade, and provided a new address for the family in Farmington, according to a spokesperson for the Consolidated School District of New Britain.
The girl's mother filed a notice the same day indicating Torres Garcia would receive instruction at home, according to the school system.
Authorities said Torres Garcia was never reported missing. New Britain police discovered her body Oct. 8, 2025 inside a storage bin after receiving a report of suspicious activity at an abandoned home in the city.
Investigators believe Torres Garcia likely died in fall 2024 while her family lived in Farmington. Farmington Police Chief Paul Melanson said evidence indicates she suffered prolonged physical abuse and malnourishment, and that her body was kept in a basement before being moved when the family relocated in March 2025.
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.
'I want to see my children'
DCF is now reviewing its involvement with the family, according to interim commissioner Susan Hamilton. In a statement issued earlier this week, Hamilton said the agency will assess how it handled the case, including supports provided, casework decisions and adherence to policy.
The agency didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about the remarks by lawmakers on the Committee on Children.
Court records filed by Torres Garcia's parents indicate the girl lived with her paternal grandmother for much of her life before moving in with her mother several years ago.
In a custody filing, Torres Garcia's mother indicated the girl resided with her grandmother at a home on Beaver Street in New Britain from 2013, the year she was born, through 2021. Torres Garcia's father provided a similar timeline, writing on a court form that his daughter moved in with her mother on Aug. 21, 2022.
Court records show the father applied in July 2023 for visitation rights with Torres Garcia and a sibling, writing on a court form: "I want to see my children weekend like agreed when given joint custody. Or any day for that matter."
The mother and father mutually agreed to a parenting plan the following month, but the mother asked a judge to modify it soon after. In a motion for contempt filing, she wrote that the girl's father violated the agreement by leaving his daughters with their grandmother overnight, and asked for the father to lose overnight visitation privileges.
The custody case was ultimately dismissed because neither parent showed up to a scheduled hearing in October 2023, and because necessary paperwork was missing, court records show.
The girl’s mother went back to court in April 2024 to ask for sole custody of the children. A counselor assigned to the case wrote in a filing that the girl's mother said the father told her he will not attend court. Records show the father failed to appear at a June 2024 hearing, and a judge approved an order granting the mother sole custody of the two kids, and allowing the father parenting time at the mother's discretion.
Scrutiny of DCF and homeschooling
In a letter sent earlier this week, five lawmakers who represent New Britain in the Connecticut House and Senate called on DCF to provide a full and transparent accounting of its work. They outlined several key questions, including whether DCF coordinated with law enforcement and the school district.
"We stand ready to work with your office, with local partners, and with the broader community to strengthen the safety net for children and families in New Britain and across the state," the letter reads. "Every child deserves to grow up safe, seen, and protected."
Staff from the Connecticut Office of the Child Advocate will also conduct an independent investigation. Acting Child Advocate Christina D. Ghio said in a statement the inquiry will examine both DCF's role and the "issue of homeschooling."
The death of Torres Garcia has reignited contentious public policy discussions about the safeguards in place for children who are homeschooled in Connecticut.
"On the issue of homeschooling, we know from previous investigations that some parents use Connecticut’s complete lack of oversight of homeschooled children to withdraw their children from school, isolate them, shield themselves from reports to our child welfare agency, and neglect or abuse their children," Ghio wrote. "This is a known policy issue that the state must address."
In a statement issued this week, Deputy House Speaker Liz Linehan, a Cheshire Democrat who previously chaired the Committee on Children, said loopholes in state law allow abusive parents to remove children from school in order to prevent referrals to DCF.
"True homeschooling families are doing what they feel is right for their children, and I support that wholeheartedly, but the system is not set up to adequately prevent child abusers from utilizing homeschooling as a way to subvert the authorities," Linehan said.
But some Republican leaders pushed back on remarks associating the New Britain tragedy with broader concerns about homeschooling, saying the case underscores failures by the state.
"The Department of Children and Families failed this child — not homeschooling, not parents exercising their rights," state Sen. Rob Sampson, R-Wolcott, said in a statement. "The state’s focus should be on accountability within DCF, not on punishing families who are doing their best to provide a safe and quality education for their children."
