The death of Nicholas Dominici, due to a fentanyl overdose when he was in a daycare center in the Bronx, will be remembered as one of the most scandalous of 2023.
Last Friday, September 15, authorities received a 911 call, made from 2707 Morris Avenue, at a daycare center called “Divino Niño.” Four children had come into contact with fentanyl.
Nicholas Dominici, just one year old, suffered cardiac arrest and did not survive. Two other children were hospitalized, one of them in critical condition. And a fourth infant responded satisfactorily to Narcan.
According to New York City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan, children may have come into contact with the drug, “either through inhalation, ingestion or skin contact.”
In the case, four people were arrested and are now facing justice, potentially receiving a life sentence.
The 4 arrested for the death of Nicholas Dominici and overdoses of other children
Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41 years old
He is the cousin of Grei Méndez’s husband and rented a room inside the daycare. He was arrested along with his wife.
During the investigations, authorities estimated that he could be the true owner of the narcotics. However, Grei Méndez’s behavior and the disappearance of her husband after the 911 call made it clear that they were both responsible.
Renny Antonio Parra Paredes, 38 years old
An arrest that was not on paper, because the Police focused on capturing Grei Méndez’s husband. The federal prosecutor asserted that she allegedly worked together and supplied the materials and drugs to those involved in trafficking.
Our reporter Joaquín Torres, from Univision 41, found that a “secret door” inside the daycare hid a compartment of fentanyl and other drugs.
He is the husband of Grei Méndez, the owner of the Divino Niño daycare, and he was caught in Mexico, as confirmed by authorities.
On the day of the incident, a security camera in front of the building caught him leaving the daycare and carrying two black bags, presumably full of drugs, seconds before the emergency services arrived to treat the children.
The suspect was caught in Sinaloa, the place where one of the criminal cartels that does the most damage to the United States operates, sending a drug that kills children, young people and adults.
New York authorities are processing his extradition to the United States.
“The culprit knows he has to pay”
Nicholas had only been attending daycare for a week. “We looked for it through a homepage (the daycare), which is supposed to ensure that it is a good place for children (…) In what mind does it fit that you are going to mix narcotics with children, it is something horrible,” declared his father.
Otoniel Feliz said that “whether they (the detainees) are guilty or not, the real culprit knows that he has to pay.”
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Nicholas Dominici, a one-year-old baby of Dominican origin, died on September 15 after coming into contact with fentanyl, while he was under the care of the Divino Niño daycare center in the Bronx. Three other children were hospitalized for the same reason.
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After the tragedy, authorities raided the daycare located at 2707 Morris Avenue. The New York Police Department (NYPD) recovered a machine for packaging fentanyl and other types of drugs.
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Grei Méndez, 36, in charge of the daycare, and a 41-year-old cousin, Carlisto Acevedo Brito, had already been arrested on suspicion of being involved in the painful tragedy.
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Both face criminal charges including murder, manslaughter and assault.
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In addition to four counts of endangering the welfare of a minor and criminal possession of narcotics including fentanyl.
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“He was a very intelligent child,” said Otoniel Feliz when remembering his son Nicolás, almost 2 years old.
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“I looked out the window to see the sky, I was a happy child, I knew how to count from 1 to 10,” he said, heartbroken.
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The father complained to the owners of the daycare center for handling drugs near the presence of the minors. “The culprit knows he has to pay,” he said.
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The parents told the media that the minor had only been enrolled in daycare a few days ago.
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The nursery had started its activities in May of this year. This same September it had even passed a surprise inspection.
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This Monday, members of the community remembered the little boy who lost his life with flowers and candles.
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According to reports from the prosecutor of the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, Grei Méndez made three calls before dialing 911, presumably to alert her husband and eliminate evidence of the drugs. She also deleted 21,000 messages.
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After advancing the investigations, the authorities discovered a secret compartment where they found more fentanyl, other drugs and tools to process them. They were hidden under the children’s playroom.
Credit: Televisa Univision
2023-09-27 03:36:00
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