Nursery owner was destroying evidence of Fentanyl ring while children overdosed

20 September 2023 , 00:59

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36-year-old Grei Mendez, a suspect in the Day Care death of one-year-old Nicholas Dominici, was also slapped with more federal charges today (Image: NY Daily News via Getty Images)

Authorities have learned that a daycare owner was storing a kilo of Fentanyl on a play mat, resulting in several children overdosing on the drug, and the death of a one-year-old child.

The owner, Grei Mendez, took steps to cover up her involvement in a sprawling drug operation, even as medics rushed to treat several children in her care who were poisoned by the opioid, federal prosecutors said. The daycare owner and a man who rented a room from her, Carlisto Acevedo Brito, were hit with new federal narcotics conspiracy charges. They were previously charged in state court with murder of "depraved indifference" in the death of one-year-old Nicholas Dominici.

Nicholas Feliz Dominici died from suspected fentanyl poisoning while at day-care in the Bronx last week - and now prosecutors have learned that the owner was destroying the evidence instead of seeking care (Facebook)

Officials say they discovered a kilogram of fentanyl stored on top of play mats used by children who attended the Bronx daycare centre, as well as devices used to package and mix narcotics. The fentanyl is believed to have sickened four children, including Nicholas, who died Friday afternoon. Three others - ranging in age from 8 months to 2 years old - were hospitalized.

On Friday afternoon, Mendez, 36, discovered the young children were not waking up from nap time. She then made three calls, including two to her husband, before dialing 911, the criminal complaint alleged. Surveillance footage showed him entering the Bronx apartment and whisking at least two full shopping bags out of the building through a back alley. Minutes later, emergency medical personnel arrived to find the children showing signs of opioid intoxication.

The parents of one-year-old Nicholas Feliz-Dominici, who died, say that he was a 'smart boy' who repeated everything he heard (CBS)

The phone calls, along with the apparent deletion of thousands of texts between Mendez and her husband, suggested an effort to cover up the narcotics operation inside the apartment, federal authorities alleged. Mendez's husband was not named in the complaint. It wasn't immediately clear whether he had spoken with police since the incident.

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Brito, a 41-year-old tenant of the apartment and a cousin to Mendez's husband, was charged alongside Mendez for his alleged role in the drug operations. New York City police said they recovered a kilogram press device inside the closet of an adjoining room occupied by Brito.

Both Mendez and Brito have denied knowing anything about drugs in the daycare centre. An attorney for Mendez, Andres Aranda, said his client was "terrified" upon discovering the unresponsive children and acted immediately to get them care. A message left with Brito's attorney wasn't immediately returned. The daycare facility opened in January of this year. It passed both of its inspections, authorities said, including a surprise visit made by inspectors on Sept. 6.

Meanwhile, the one-year-old's mum told CBS that she was devastated: "He was so intelligent. He would repeat everything you would say to him. He had so much love. Everyone who knew him appreciated him, all of our neighbours."

Carlisto Acevedo-Brito, a suspect in the day care death of 1yr old Nicholas Dominici, was slapped with more federal charges today (NY Daily News via Getty Images)

Mel Ramirez, 26, who lives next to the Divino Nino daycare, said she heard a worker screaming the words "The kids are dead" a number of times when the incident happened. “She was yelling for help. She was screaming and saying, ‘The kids are dead! The kids are dead!’ multiple times,” she told the New York Post. “They were just pale and unresponsive. [One of the boys’] mouth was, like, open. I was like, ‘Oh my God. I can’t do anything about it either."

At a press conference on Saturday, Mayor Eric Adams said Dominici's death underscored the challenges the city faces in its fight against opioids. “This crisis is real, and it is a real wake‑up call for individuals who have opioids or fentanyl in their homes,” Adams said. “The mere contact is deadly for an adult, and it’s extremely deadly for a child.”

Yelena Mandenberg