Authorities indicted a day care owner and two others Thursday on a slew of charges, including second-degree murder, in connection with one-year-old Nicholas Dominici’s alleged fentanyl exposure death.
The Bronx, New York, day care was used as a front for a drug trafficking operation, police told News 12 The Bronx. Three other children who frequented the day care reportedly had to be revived after fentanyl exposure. The arraigned individuals have been identified as owner Grei Mendez; her husband, Felix Herrera Garcia; and Carlisto Brito.
All three pleaded not guilty to their charges, according to the outlet. A fourth suspect, Renny Antonio Parra Paredes, was arraigned Sept. 25 and charged with conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death, CBS News reported. (RELATED: Man Busted Allegedly Hauling $1.5 Million Worth Of Fentanyl Near Day Care Where Boy Died From Exposure To Drug)
BX DAY CARE UPDATE: Bronx day care owner Grei Mendez charged in the death of a 1-year-old who was exposed to fentanyl has appeared in court. #news12 #bronx #bx #crime #news #newyorkcity #nychttps://t.co/0hbnahQlt1
— News 12 New York (@News12) October 5, 2023
“A beautiful little boy lost his life and three precious children aged eight months to two years became seriously ill from fentanyl poisoning,” Bronx DA Darcel Clark said. “This is a catastrophe.”
“We will get justice for him, the other children and their families,” Clark continued.
Mendez previously pulled her own two-year-old son from the day care in 2022 after she grew concerned he was exhibiting signs of fentanyl exposure, according to ABC News. Mendez allegedly did not report the situation to authorities, but the day care stayed open for other children, the outlet reported.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams directly accused Felix Herrera Garcia of being arrested for “running a fentanyl mill hidden inside a Bronx daycare” in his statement to the Justice Department (DOJ). Garica attempted to flee but was apprehended in Mexico and brought back to the U.S., according to the DOJ.