The Latest
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Lawsuits, settlements raise questions about DCF accountability in Connecticut
A string of high-profile cases involving Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families is raising questions about whether warning signs were missed and whether more could have been done to prevent harm. One way families try to get answers is through the courts. NBC Connecticut Investigates examined how often the state has faced claims tied to DCF, focusing on allegations...
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Lawsuit filed against Avon daycare's corporate parent following sexual assault allegations
A lawsuit was filed on Wednesday against an Avon daycare’s corporate parent, where an employee was arrested and charged with sexual assault and risk of injury to a child. Jan Carlos Berrios-Otero, 29, was arrested April 1 after an administrator of the BrightPath Avon Early Learning and Child Care Center contacted police and said she believed an incident between Berrios-Otero and a child had occurred...
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Could lawmakers pass law requiring face-to-face contact with kids in DCF investigations?
With two high-profile child abuse cases in the last year, some lawmakers have been calling for change. NBC Connecticut Investigates recently spoke exclusively with a former child welfare worker who said the state made some “critical mistakes” in the case of Mimi Torres-Garcia, a girl whose body was found in New Britain back in October. A review of her case by DCF documented a now-infamous...
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Wrongful death lawsuit possible in death of Jacqueline ‘Mimi' Torres-Garcia
NBC Connecticut Investigates is following new developments in the death of Jacqueline “Mimi” Torres-Garcia. The 11-year-old’s body was found last month behind an abandoned home in New Britain. Investigators say she had been dead for more than a year. Her mother, aunt and mother’s boyfriend are charged in connection with her death. Now, NBC Connecticut Investigates has learned there...
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Warrants provide more info on interactions between Mimi's family, DCF and police
Many people involved in the Mimi Garcia case have been retracing their steps to see what clues or opportunities might have been missed, which could have prevented her death. One of the things NBC Connecticut Investigates has been looking at now that warrants in the case have been unsealed, are new interactions with police, and child welfare workers, that Mimi’s...
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Family fought over custody of girl found dead in New Britain, court records show
NBC Connecticut Investigates learned new details about the death of a New Britain girl that has raised a lot of questions. Jacqueline “Mimi” Torres-Garcia’s remains were discovered last week at an abandoned property on Clark Street. Police believe she was killed sometime last fall. Family court records reveal more about where she was living and with whom. For most of...
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Simsbury students' petition saves 6th grade trip
A group of friends in Simsbury recently learned that their voices matter. A three-day, two-night trip to Camp Jewell in Colebrook is a longstanding sixth grade tradition in the district, and something younger students look forward to. This year, however, Central School planned to cut the trip to one day. “We were obviously really disappointed about that, especially when we…
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Fired trooper who left crash scene barred as law enforcement officer in CT
A former Connecticut State Police Trooper was decertified Thursday by the Police Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) Action Subcommittee. The decision means Catherine Koeppel can no longer serve as a law enforcement officer in the state. NBC Connecticut Investigates first reported on Koeppel in 2022, when she was arrested and charged with evading responsibility, a misdemeanor. Investigators said Koeppel,…
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Reckless on our Roads: New emphasis on CT left lane law
In our ongoing series “Reckless On Our Roads,” we’re have been looking at the latest effort to crack down on dangerous driving in Connecticut. A law passed this legislative session clarifies the rules on camping out in the left lane. The left lane is meant for passing. That’s the message the CT Department of Transportation is trying to get...
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Police video looks inside home of retired detective found dead in Glastonbury
NBC Connecticut Investigates has obtained video showing the conditions inside a Glastonbury home where a woman was found dead seven months after police conducted a welfare check. Police recorded their challenges getting inside through body cameras and pictures, showing piles of items towering around four feet high in every room. Glastonbury police officers had even faced obstacles before they got inside...
