NEWS
Fentanyl Was Stored On Play Mats At NYC Day Care Where Child Died, Police Say
Courtesy of U.S. Attorney’s Office for Southern District of New York
Investigators say fentanyl was stored on top of children’s play mats at a New York City day care where one child died and three others were hospitalized Friday due to opioid exposure.
Nicholas Dominici, age 1, died following exposure to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, at a home-based day care center in the Bronx on Friday, police said. Three other exposed children were hospitalized.
New York City Police officers responded to a 911 call at around 2:45 p.m. Friday when three children did not wake up from their naps. Officers found Dominici unconscious, and he was transported to Montefiore Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Another 2-year-old boy and an 8-month-old girl were also found unconscious and transported to the hospital.
First responders administered Narcan, which reverses opioid overdoses, to all three children, New York Police Department Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said at a press conference Friday.
A 2-year-old boy who left the day care center shortly after noon showed signs of lethargy at home and became unresponsive, and was rushed to BronxCare Health System by his mother, Kenny said. Staff at the hospital administered Narcan, Kenny said.
Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41, and Grei Mendez, 36, are each charged with conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death and possession with intent to distribute narcotics resulting in death, according to a complaint filed by an agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“Despite the daily presence of children, including infants, the defendants maintained large quantities of fentanyl, including a kilogram of fentanyl stored on top of children’s playmats,” the complaint stated.
Two kilo presses, which police said are used to package large quantities of drugs, were found in a hall closet, and a third was found in a bedroom, according to the complaint.
At a press conference Tuesday, Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said authorities were still searching for Mendez’s husband, who was seen on surveillance video removing bags of items from the day care before first responders arrived at the scene Friday.
On Friday, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Commissioner Ashwin Vasan said the licensed day care center underwent a surprise inspection on Sept. 9 and no violations were found at that time.
TMX contributed to this article.
