Police hunt drug-dealing nursery owner after baby killed by fentanyl

21 September 2023 , 15:05

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Nicholas Dominici tragically died after inhaling fentanyl (Image: Gofundme)

Police have launched a manhunt for the husband of a nursery owner after a baby boy died from a suspected fentanyl overdose and three others were hospitalised.

Nicholas Dominici, 1, tragically died after inhaling the opioid drug at a nursery run by Grei Mendez, who was arrested. Police are now trying to work out the identity of the woman’s spouse, who was seen to flee the nursery before the police arrived.

One kilo of fentanyl, a synthetic painkiller 50 times more powerful than heroin, was found “underneath a mat where the children had been sleeping earlier" according to NYPD chief detective Joseph Kenny. Three of the four children who overdosed were revived with Narcan, a drug used to reverse overdoses.

Ms Mendez, 36, called her husband multiple times after finding the children ill, footage shows. Her husband arrived and removed multiple full shopping bags from the nursery according to the authorities. It was only after she had contacted her husband that Ms Mendez called 911, before police arrived at Divino Niño nursery in the Bronx, New York City, on Friday night.

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Grei Mendez was arrested after four children overdosed on fentanyl at her nursery (NY Daily News via Getty Images)

Ms Mendez and her tenant, Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41, face federal charges of narcotics possession “with intent to distribute resulting in death” according to federal prosecutors. Ms Mendez allegedly deleted 20,000 text messages - later recovered by police - after her arrest. Ms Mendez’s lawyer says she denies the charges and was unaware drugs were kept in the nursery, which police claim was used as a front for drugs.

Health inspectors actually visited the nursery in a surprise inspection on September 6, but identified no violations. The Mayor defended the inspectors on Wednesday, telling reporters: "That inspector did their job. And we should not in any way give an impression that inspector failed those children and their families. Who did not do their job? Those individuals who were supposed to protect the children there."

Carlisto Acevedo Brito is another suspect behind Nicholas' death (NY Daily News via Getty Images)

It is believed the youngsters were exposed to fentanyl when it was being cut and some of it entered the air, and they breathed it in. Police say the amount of fentanyl found at the scene could have killed 500,000 people. Fentanyl has reached every part of the US according to research, and is increasingly linked with drug deaths across the country.

A growing number of young children are dying as a result of the drug, including one child who died and two others who became ill in separate fentanyl incidents in Washington over the weekend.

Nicholas Feliz-Dominici died (Facebook)

Little Nicholas's dad Otoniel Feliz expressed his devastation and anger at the situation saying he took his child to "daycare, not a funeral home." He told the Mail his late son was due to turn two in November and that this was his first week of daycare. "'It was his first week. This was his first week. We had a good recommendation. We were told it was a great place. It looked like a nice place."

Mr Feliz added that parents are not allowed to go inside the daycare after their child's first day, with staff saying it is to avoid contamination. He heartbreakingly added that his wife had gone to pick their son up earlier than planned as she was missing him but came across the traumatic scene when she arrived.

Nicholas's father consoles his mother (CBS)

He told how his wife called him to say Nicholas was going to hospital and they thought he would be fine - 10 minutes later she called back and said he was dead.

The tragic boy's mum told CBS: "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."

Alex Croft