Infant dies at Bronx daycare: Two charged with the one-year-old’s fentanyl-related murder
A heartbreaking tale coming out of the Bronx as we’re hearing about a New York City Day Care Center owner and her tenant being charged with the drug overdose murder of a one-year-old boy.
The Divino Niño Day Care owner, Grei Mendez, 36, along with her tenant, Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41, were taken into custody and charged with the fentanyl-exposure related death of one year-old Nicholas Dominici. Other youngsters at the day care were also exposed and severely sickened, but survived.
Police said the toddler who died and three other children who were hospitalized were all exposed to fentanyl, a dangerous and deadly opioid, at the day care center in the Bronx. Investigators said they found equipment used to pack illegal drugs there.
“Anything about a child, you have to be very careful about it,” said neighbor Mohammed Yahaya. ~ PIX 11 News
“Tonight is every parent’s worst nightmare,” Edward Caban, New York Police Department commissioner, said in a news conference on Friday. “For now, there is one thing I do know. We should not be here. Those children do not deserve this.”
Mendez and Brito were taken into custody on the evening of September 16 and charged with murder, manslaughter, assault, criminal possession of narcotics and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
Police were initially called to the daycare on Friday afternoon where they found one-year-old Nicholas Dominici was unconscious and unresponsive and who later passed away after being transported to the Montefiore Medical Center.
Police helped save other two other young children at the daycare – an eight-month-old girl and a two-year-old boy – who were also found unconscious at the daycare by treating them with Narcan. Both of those children were also transported to the Montefiore Medical Center in stable and critical condition respectively.
CBS News reported that Mendez was arraigned Sunday night at Bronx criminal court and was being detained with no bond. Turns out, Mendez was renting a room out to Brito, her husband’s cousin, for $200 a month and Brito was the one allegedly storing drugs at the daycare.
In court, officials said 1 kilo of fentanyl was found inside a closet at the day care, along with two kilo presses, which are used to process drugs. A third kilo press was found in Acevedo Brito’s bedroom. At least one surviving child tested positive for fentanyl. ~ CBS News
Another two-year-old boy had to be hospitalized at the BronxCare Health System. After leaving the daycare with his parents, first responders had to be called because he was “acting lethargic and unresponsive,” according to CNN. That child also survived and was listed as being in stable condition.
For more on this shocking and tragic tale, see the video accompanying this article.
–
(Cover photo, Carlisto Acevedo Brito and Grei Mendez arrested and charged, Image credit: PIX 11/ YouTube)
~ Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
Follow Richard on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
