A tragic incident at a New York City day care has led to federal charges against the owner and tenant of the apartment where the day care operated. Grei Mendez, 36, ran El Divino Niño day care from her Bronx apartment, where Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41, also lived. Both Mendez and Brito were initially charged with murder following the death of a 1-year-old child named Nicholas Feliz-Dominici last week. Federal prosecutors have now announced additional charges of conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death. The charges stem from a search of the day care, during which police allegedly discovered large amounts of fentanyl and equipment used to package drugs.
According to U.S. Attorney Damian Williams, parents entrusted Mendez with the care of their children, but instead of ensuring their well-being, she and her co-conspirators put them at risk by running a drug operation and storing deadly fentanyl in the same space where the children ate, slept, and played.
The incident unfolded when Mendez called the police to report that three children under her care were unresponsive. Two of the children, ages 8 months and 2 years, were administered Narcan, an emergency drug used to counter the effects of opioids, and were taken to the hospital. Tragically, Nicholas did not survive. Prosecutors revealed that another 1-year-old child had been picked up by their parents two hours prior to Mendez’s call, but the parents noticed that the child appeared lethargic and unresponsive, so they also took the toddler to the hospital, where Narcan was administered. Medical professionals determined that all the children had symptoms consistent with opioid poisoning.
During the search of the apartment, police discovered 1 kilogram of fentanyl on a children’s play mat in the hallway, along with a hydraulic press machine used to compress narcotics into bricks.
Mendez’s attorney has maintained that she had no knowledge of drugs being present at the day care and claimed that her only crime was renting a room. However, digital forensics allegedly showed that Mendez made phone calls to an employee of the day care and her husband, who is Brito’s cousin, just before calling 911. Additionally, it was discovered that Mendez had deleted over 21,000 messages with her husband from March to September, including the day the children fell ill. The investigation also revealed that Mendez had been texting her husband about the police presence at the apartment on that day and surveillance footage showed her husband leaving the day care shortly before the police arrived, carrying shopping bags.
Mendez denied the presence of drugs in the day care and suggested that the hydraulic press could have belonged to a previous occupant. Brito also denied any knowledge of drugs or the press. However, a search of Brito’s phone revealed messages discussing police activity in August.
Zoila Dominici, the mother of the deceased child, expressed her shock and grief, saying that her son seemed to be adjusting well at the day care, which had a good reputation and was affordable. She described him as the little prince of the house and mentioned how loved he was by his siblings.
The incident has raised concerns about the regulation of home-based day cares in New York. The Health Commissioner admitted that inspectors did not have training to identify fentanyl and suggested that they may need additional training in the future. The mayor defended the health department, stating that the inspectors had performed their duties and did not see a drug lab.
This heartbreaking case serves as a reminder of every parent’s worst nightmare. The alleged drug traffickers operated their illicit business in the most inappropriate location, and they will be held accountable for their actions.
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