Sentenced: 1YO Dead, 3 Other Children Hospitalized After Consuming Fentanyl At Bronx Day Care

[Sugar Cookie]

A 1-year-old boy is dead and three other children hospitalized after possibly ingesting fentanyl at a Bronx day care center Friday afternoon, police sources said.

The horrific scene unfolded around 2:40 p.m. at Divino Nino in the Kingsbridge neighborhood, where the four tots — the 1-year-old boy, two 2-year-old boys and an 8-month-old girl — were found unresponsive in the basement, sources said.

The children had gone down for naps and were supposed to wake up at 2:30 p.m., sources said. They had all eaten something about 90 minutes earlier.

Three children were administered Narcan, one of whom responded to the life-saving drug, cops said.

All four were rushed to area hospitals, where the 1-year-old boy was declared dead.

The three others are in stable condition, police said. The 8-month-old girl was treated for dehydration, according to sources.

Police are now investigating whether the children consumed fentanyl, or another drug, sources said.

Divino Nino Day Care just passed its annual unannounced inspection with zero violations on Sept. 6, according to city records. It had received its license in May.

The day care has a capacity of eight children between the ages of six weeks to 12 years old, records show.

A search warrant was being executed at the center Friday night and a white decontamination tent was set up outside the building.

1-year-old dead, 3 other children hospitalized after possibly consuming fentanyl at Bronx day care: sources

The children ate something at around 1 p.m. before a nap, according to police sources.

nypost.com

 

[GenericUser123]

Bronx daycare center where infant died from fentanyl exposure had kilo press inside: NYPD​

A kilo press was found inside of the licensed Bronx daycare center on Friday where an infant died and two other tots were hospitalized due to fentanyl exposure, police said.

Mayor Eric Adams and top police brass outlined the criminal investigation involving Divino Nino Daycare in Kingsbridge during a press conference early Saturday morning at Montefiore Hospital.

According to newly minted Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny, first responders rushed to the facility 2707 Morris Avenue at 2:43 p.m. on Sept. 15 after a 911 call alerted authorities that three children were unconscious and in grave condition.

Upon arrival, police discovered 1-year-old Nicholas Dominici unconscious along with two other children: a 2-year-old boy and an 8-month-old girl. All three exhibited signs of exposure to fentanyl, a pain-killing narcotic that’s 50 times more potent than heroin and is often mixed in with other illegal drugs, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

“Narcan was administered to all three of these children in an attempt to save their lives,” Chief Kenny said. “Two children survived. Unfortunately, one male passed away at Montefiore Hospital at 3:29 p.m.” Friday.

Bronx daycare center where infant died from fentanyl exposure had kilo press inside: NYPD | amNewYork

A kilo press was found inside of the licensed Bronx daycare center on Friday where an infant died and two other tots were hospitalized due to fentanyl

www.amny.com

 

[thuumpr]

Someone needs to experience the thrill of the death penalty. But this being NYC, parole?

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Nicholas Feliz-Dominici

 

[Sugar Cookie]

The owner of a Bronx daycare where a 1-year-old died and three other children were hospitalized after apparently interacting with an opioid was being questioned by police Saturday and may have sublet a room in the facility, according to a report.
https://nypost.com/2023/09/16/cops-find-kilo-press-used-by-drug-dealers-at-tragic-nyc-daycare/

The New York Post reported that the death was being investigated by a task force composed of New York Police Department and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration members. Grei Mendez, the owner of daycare Divino Niño was being questioned by police Saturday, the outlet reported.


Police wanted to speak with a man whom Mendez allegedly rented a room, according to the newspaper.

Investigators uncovered a “kilo press,” which is used when packaging large quantities of drugs. The Post reported that multiple drugs were also recovered from the in-home daycare, which just last week passed a surprise inspection.

Owner of Daycare Where Toddler Died from Apparent Opioid Overdose Questioned by Police: Report

The owner of a Bronx daycare where a 1-year-old died and three other children were hospitalized after apparently interacting with an opioid was being questioned by police Saturday and may have sublet a room in the facility, according to a report.

themessenger.com

The owner of the daycare needs to be prosecuted as well as the subletter.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

The Bronx day-care center where one tot died and three others were hospitalized from suspected fentanyl exposure was being used as a drug front, police sources said Sunday — as its owner was hauled to court.

Grei Mendez De Ventura, 36, the proprietor of Divino Nino Daycare, was stoic as she was led out of the 52nd Precinct, followed by alleged cohort Caristo Acevedo Brito, 41 — who lived in the basement along with the drugged-up day-care business.

Brito hid his face from reporters as he was walked from the precinct wearing a white baseball cap and putting his head down. He was put in a separate NYPD car for the trip to Bronx Criminal Court.

Police said Mendez was later taken to Lincoln Hospital for a medical evaluation and is listed in stable condition.

The suspects — who face raps including murder — did not respond to questions from reporters outside the precinct.

Both suspects are awaiting arraignment.

The pair was charged Saturday with murder, assault and child endangerment in the suspected fentanyl-exposure death of 1-year-old Nicholas Feliz Dominici.

Bronx day care suspects hauled off to face charges after apparent fentanyl exposure killed toddler, hospitalized 3 others

The Bronx day-care center where one tot died and three others were hospitalized from suspected fentanyl exposure was being used as a drug front, police sources said Sunday — as its owner was …

nypost.com

 

[Sugar Cookie]

It was an open secret that the Bronx day-care center where a tot died from suspected fentanyl exposure was operating as a drug front, a neighbor told The Post on Monday — raising crucial questions about how the site managed to pass a state inspection just days before.

Divino Nino Daycare owner Grei Mendez De Ventura, 36, put a business sign outside the basement space in the Kingsbridge building touting the day-care site more than a year ago — yet there were never any kids going in and out, claimed a woman who lives next door.

“We all said, ‘Drugas.’ How could you not know?” said the longtime resident, 69, who declined to give her name. “It was a day-care for a year with no children. For one year, she had a day-care with no children but people go in. But no babies?

“A day-care with no children and men coming in and out. Yes, we knew something. We knew something, something was not good happening there,” the woman said.

The neighbor claimed Ventura wouldn’t even allow her own child to go into the tiny facility, which became licensed to legally operate as a day-care in May — four months before a 1-year-old boy died and at least three other children were sickened there Friday.

“Two months ago, she started getting some children. She got one baby two months ago, and then two more started weeks ago,” the woman said.

“But she didn’t even take her own baby there. Not once.”

Ventura as well as Caristo Acevedo Brito, 41, who lived in the basement alongside the day-care business, were both slapped with murder, assault and child endangerment charges over the weekend after the death of the little boy, Nicholas Feliz Dominici.

Cops have since launched a manhunt for Ventura’s husband, who lived with her next-door and is believed to have been “the main player” in the illicit drug business, law-enforcement sources said.

The day-care center had just passed a surprise inspection — apparently with flying colors — by the state’s Office of Children and Family Services on Sept. 6, records show

No violations were issued during the site visit, according to the records.

Bronx day care where 1-year-old died of opioid OD was obvious drug front, says neighbor: ‘How could you not know’

The day-care center had just passed a surprise inspection — apparently with flying colors — by the state’s Office of Children and Family Services on Sept. 6, records show.

nypost.com

 

[Sugar Cookie]

The two people arrested in the death of 1-year-old Nicholas Dominici at a day care facility in New York City are now facing federal charges.

That's because of the amount of drugs found. In fact, authorities said they found enough fentanyl to kill 500,000 people.

Three other kids were hospitalized after being exposed to fentanyl that was allegedly being processed at the site in the Bronx.

Police said they found a kilogram of fentanyl in a hallway closet at the day care, stacked on top of children's play mats. They also said they found three kilo press machines, which are used to package drugs.

Grei Mendez walked into court Tuesday with shackles on her feet, visibly emotional. Her mother and eldest daughter were also in court to support her.


Mendez broke down in tears, wailing, the moment a federal judge decided she would not be granted bail. Her defense asked for $100,000 bail, saying she's not a flight risk, but the request was denied.

Williams said Mendez tried to cover up the fentanyl operation before calling emergency responders. Mendez and her husband's cousin Carlisto Acevedo Brito, who was renting a bedroom at the day care, are under arrest on murder with a depraved indifference and drug charges. They now face federal charges of conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death and possession with intent to distribute narcotics resulting in death.

Williams said the federal charges carry a range of 20 years to life in prison.

Investigators said evidence proves Mendez and Brito were active participants in the drug-running scheme.

MSN

www.msn.com

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Police investigating a New York City daycare where a one-year-old boy died of alleged fentanyl exposure have discovered additional fentanyl hidden in a space underneath the center’s floor.

Following a tip about a trapdoor in the floor, authorities on Wednesday night and Thursday searched the Divino Niño daycare center in the Bronx again after fentanyl residue was found underneath a mat earlier this month where children had napped, ABC reports.

Police subsequently found a large quantity of fentanyl, other narcotics and various drug paraphernalia hidden underneath the floorboards, according to photos released online by the NYPD.

In an earlier search, investigators discovered a kilogram of fentanyl that was kept on top of play mats, in addition to scales and kilo presses used for compressing the deadly synthetic opioid.

More fentanyl found under trapdoor in New York daycare where infant died

Police make discovery in investigation after child dies and three others hospitalized after appearing to have been exposed to drug

www.theguardian.com

 

[Satanica]

Unbelievable. A trap house disguised as a daycare.

 

[Angiebla]

Unbelievable. A trap house disguised as a daycare.

They had to know how dangerous it was for the little ones to be there.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Footage captures fugitive husband of deadly Bronx day care fleeing as manhunt expands to Dominican Republic

The Regional Fugitive Task Force has expanded the search for the husband of embattled Bronx daycare owner Grei Mendez to the couple’s native Dominican Republic, federal sources tell The Post.

nypost.com

[automerge]1695670215[/automerge]

The manhunt for the fugitive husband of a Bronx day care owner charged in the drug-exposure death of a toddler has expanded to the Dominican Republic, federal law enforcement sources told The Post Monday.

Cops have been searching for the husband of Grei Mendez De Ventura since 1-year-old Nicholas Feliz Dominici died from suspected fentanyl poisoning at her Divino Niño Daycare — with the Regional Fugitive Task Force now following up leads inside the couple’s native country.

“We’re all working together to find him — nationally and over in the Dominican Republic,” the source said.

Mendez, 36, and accused cohort Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41, her husband’s cousin, were charged with murder, assault and child endangerment on Sept. 16, one day after Nicholas and three other children were found critically ill at the child care facility — described by authorities as a front for a drug-peddling operation.

Mendez’s on-the-run husband was described by police sources as “the main player” in the alleged drug-selling operation at the basement day care center.

Authorities have not identified the fugitive by name.

Footage captures fugitive husband of deadly Bronx day care fleeing as manhunt expands to Dominican Republic

The Regional Fugitive Task Force has expanded the search for the husband of embattled Bronx daycare owner Grei Mendez to the couple’s native Dominican Republic, federal sources tell The Post.

nypost.com

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Law enforcement sources told CBS New York on Tuesday the man wanted in the fentanyl-related death of a toddler at a Bronx day care has been arrested.

Sources said Felix Herrera-Garcia, the husband of the owner of Divino Nino Day Care, was arrested on a bus in Mexico. He had been on the run since the tragedy more than a week ago.

Surveillance photos allegedly show him moving shopping bags from the day care, exiting out a back alley and leaving through overgrown grass before emergency crews arrived on Sept. 15.

Prosecutors claim Herrera-Garcia's wife called him before dialing 911 to get help for the children who were displaying overdose symptoms.

Herrera-Garcia's wife, Grei Mendez, and cousin, Carlisto Acevedo Brito, were the first arrested, followed by the arrest of Renny Antonio Parra Paredes on Monday.

Herrera-Garcia is now the fourth person to be taken into police custody in connection to the case. CBS New York was told the Drug Enforcement Administration and Mexican authorities were involved in tracking him down.

There was no immediate word on charges he will face.

MSN

www.msn.com

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Felix Herrera Garcia, the husband of an owner of a New York City daycare where a toddler died due to fentanyl poisoning, has pleaded guilty.

In a statement obtained by PEOPLE on June 10, Bronx County District Attorney Darcel D. Clark confirmed that Herrera Garcia, 35, pleaded guilty to three federal counts that lead to “the fatal fentanyl ingestion of 22-month-old Nicholas Dominici and the injury to three other babies at the Divino Niño Day Care Center in the Bronx on September 15, 2023.”

“[He] has now been held accountable in the tragic loss of little Nicholas, the serious injury of Abel, and the harm to Kiara and Jaziel,” Clark concluded, naming the victims, who were all younger than 3 years old.

All three charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, Clark and U.S. Attorney Damian Williams noted on Monday.

Cases are pending against Herrera Garcia’s wife Grei Mendez, and Carlisto Acevedo Brito in connection with their roles in the poisonings.

Husband of N.Y.C. Daycare Owner Pleads Guilty After 1-Year-Old Boy Dies of Fentanyl Poisoning

Felix Herrera Garcia, the husband of an owner of a New York City daycare where a toddler died due to fentanyl poisoning, has pleaded guilty to three federal charges, which carry a mandatory minimum 20-year sentence and a maximum lifetime sentence.

people.com

 

[Sugar Cookie]

A man was sentenced to 45 years in prison related to the death of a 1-year-old who was poisoned with fentanyl at a Bronx day care.

Felix Herrera Garcia previously pleaded guilty to trafficking fentanyl out of the day care center. He was sentenced on Wednesday.

The fentanyl scheme led to the 2023 death of 22-month-old Nicholas Dominici and sent three other children to the hospital with fentanyl poisoning, prosecutors said.

Herrera Garcia is accused of storing narcotics in the day care center on top of playmats and under the floor, according to prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

He was the fourth person to be charged in the drug-related scheme. Prosecutors said he fled the day care center and was apprehended by Mexican authorities. Among the others charged is Herrera Garcia’s wife, Grei Mendez, who worked at the day care.

Authorities say they found a kilogram of fentanyl at the day care. When the children became sick, Mendez first called Herrera Garcia before 911. Herrera Garcia removed bags of materials from the day care before authorities arrived, officials said. Mendez then lied to police about his whereabouts.


Another man charged in the incident, Renny Antonio Parra Paredes, also pleaded guilty in May to conspiring to distribute narcotics and causing the 1-year-old’s death, prosecutors said.

Lengthy prison sentence for man in fentanyl-related Bronx day care death

BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) — A man was sentenced to 45 years in prison related to the death of a 1-year-old who was poisoned with fentanyl at a Bronx day care. “I trust, your honor, you will do justice for my son,” the boy’s father, Otoniel Feliz, said. “We will have to learn how to live […]

www.yahoo.com

 

[Sugar Cookie]

A woman who owned a New York City day care center where a toddler died after ingesting fentanyl has been sentenced to 45 years in prison after pleading guilty to federal drug charges.

Grei Mendez, 37, dropped her head into her crossed arms in anguish as Judge Jed S. Rakoff announced the sentence that triggered sobs among Mendez’s family and the mother whose 22-month-old child, Nicholas Feliz-Dominici, died in September 2023.

Rakoff had previously given the same sentence to Mendez’s husband, Felix Herrera-Garcia, after he pleaded guilty to drug charges and causing bodily harm related to the death. The couple each faced a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison and a maximum of life for their crimes.

Mendez, 37, had pleaded guilty to drug charges including conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death.

Before the sentence was imposed, she apologized to the families of children who attended the Divino Niño day care that she operated out of a Bronx apartment where the couple stored and packaged narcotics.

“I do want all to know it was an accident,” she said through an interpreter. “I am very sorry. I hope that someday I may be forgiven.”

Owner of NYC day care where toddler fatally ingested fentanyl gets 45 years in prison

A woman who owned a New York City day care center where a toddler died after ingesting fentanyl has been sentenced to 45 years in prison after pleading guilty to federal drug charges.

apnews.com

 

[Busy Bee]

Have these people not read any current news articles about fentanyl and how dangerous it is to children! There are so many accounts of children being poisoned by just the “fumes” or particulate matter in the air!! No ms Melendez you CANT have a drug distribution and packaging business next to your day care operation !! At this point the child care inspectors should start testing for drugs!

 

[Sugar Cookie]

A New York City day care owner and her husband were sentenced Wednesday in the fentanyl poisoning death of a 22-month-old boy in their care.

A jury found Grei Mendez, 38, and Felix Herrera Garcia, 37, guilty of second-degree murder last year in the New York case, as well as assault, according to the Bronx district attorney's office. Mendez, who owned Divino Niño day care center, and her husband, Garcia, were sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

The couple are already serving a 45-year sentence after they pleaded guilty to federal drug charges in connection with the case. The state prison sentence Wednesday will run concurrent with the federal sentence.

In the state murder case, prosecutors told the court that large quantities of fentanyl were being processed at the day care center. The same kitchen tools that Mendez used to prepare the kids' food was used to process the fentanyl, the state said.

The four children who fell sick in September 2023 were 22-month-old Nicholas Dominici; 2-year-old Abel Garcia; Abel’s 8-month-old sister, Kiara Garcia; and 2-year-old Jaziel Lino.

Nicholas died from the exposure, while the three other children survived. Abel went into respiratory arrest but was revived at a hospital. His sister and Jaziel were treated for acute opioid intoxication.

Mendez called her husband before she called 911 when she realized the children were sick, and Garcia removed the drugs before he fled the building with weighted plastic bags, prosecutors said. Garcia fled to Mexico following Nicholas' death, where he was captured and extradited back to New York to face charges.

Authorities found a kilo of fentanyl in a closet and 12 more kilos of narcotics under a trapdoor in the children's playroom.

Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark referred to the drugs' being hidden in the room where the children played and slept when she spoke about the couple's "greed" and "depravity."

Continue reading

Bronx day care providers sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for fentanyl death of toddler

Grei Mendez, 38, and Felix Herrera Garcia, 37, were found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of 22-month-old Nicholas Dominici.

www.nbcnews.com