BRONX, NY – Two individuals are now facing a multitude of charges related to a suspected opioid overdose incident at a Bronx daycare. The tragic event resulted in the death of a one-year-old boy and the hospitalization of three other children. The deceased toddler, identified as Nicholas Dominici, was among four children believed to have been exposed to the potent opioid, fentanyl.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) was initially alerted to the situation at Divino Nino Daycare, located at 2707 Morris Avenue in Kingsbridge. The daycare operator, 36-year-old Grei Mendez, and a tenant residing in the same building were arrested on Saturday. Mendez, who runs the daycare, has been charged with murder following the heartbreaking incident at her facility.
Carlisto Acevedo Brito, a relative of Mendez’s husband, has also been charged in connection with the case. The daycare center is situated within a Bronx apartment building, where Mendez was reportedly leasing a home to Brito. Surprisingly, the facility passed a surprise inspection that was conducted just one week before the toddler’s overdose death.
Over the weekend, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the premises. The search yielded a kilogram of fentanyl and three kilogram presses in what seemed to be a drug den used for the daily distribution of the opioid. Mendez’s attorney, Aranda, insists his client was unaware of the illicit activities. He argued that Mendez would not have contacted the police if she knew about the presence of fentanyl in her apartment.
The investigation into the daycare is ongoing. Additionally, the exact cause of death for the deceased toddler is still being determined.