NYC Childcare Facility Owner and Adjacent Tenant Detained Following Opioid-Related Death of Toddler and Illness of Three Others

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The proprietor of a childcare center in New York City, along with a resident of the same building, were apprehended on Saturday following the opioid-induced fatality of a one-year-old boy and the illness of three additional children attributed to exposure to Fentanyl.

The detentions occurred a day after officials identified four young children, aged between 8 months and 2 years, exhibiting symptoms of a potential opioid overdose after spending time at the Bronx-based childcare establishment known as Divino Niño.

The one-year-old victim, Nicholas Dominici, was declared deceased at a nearby hospital. Emergency medical personnel successfully revived three other affected children using Narcan, a medication designed to counteract opioid overdoses, according to law enforcement agencies.

Grei Mendez, 36, who owns the childcare center, and building occupant Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41, were taken into custody on allegations of murder due to depraved indifference, assault, and illegal possession of narcotics, inclusive of Fentanyl.

The suspects are scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on Sunday.

In a subsequent search warrant executed at the childcare facility, which commenced its operations in the Kingsbridge neighborhood of the Bronx earlier this year, authorities discovered a kilo press—a tool employed for the bulk packaging of narcotics.

Parents of Nicholas, Zoila Dominici and Otoniel Feliz, disclosed that their child had been enrolled in the facility merely a week prior to the incident.

“He was an exceptionally bright child, mimicking any phrase spoken to him,” said Dominici. “He emanated love and was highly regarded by everyone who had the privilege to know him, including our neighbors.”

New York City has been grappling with an escalation in opioid-related deaths, the majority of which are now linked to Fentanyl—a synthetic opioid with potency up to 50 times greater than that of heroin.

At a press conference convened on Saturday, Mayor Eric Adams underscored the grave implications of this incident for the broader battle against opioids in the city.

“The presence of opioids, particularly fentanyl, in households is not merely perilous for adults but especially lethal for children,” Adams noted. “This incident serves as a significant alert about the severity of the ongoing opioid crisis.”

The cause of Nicholas Dominici’s death is currently under investigation by the city’s Medical Examiner.

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More about Fentanyl-induced death at NYC childcare center

• Official Press Release from NYPD
• Medical Examiner’s Report on Nicholas Dominici
• Statement from Mayor Eric Adams
• CDC Information on Opioid Overdoses
• Legal Proceedings Against Grei Mendez and Carlisto Acevedo Brito
• Data on Opioid Crisis in New York City
• New York City’s Public Health Initiatives Against Opioid Abuse
• Overview of the Narcan Medication
• Information on Fentanyl and Its Effects