A 1-year-old died at a Bronx day care last week and on Monday, September 18, police announced that a kilogram of fentanyl was found in the day care. Sources told the New York Post that the owner of the day care, Grei Mendez De Ventura, called three other people before calling 911. The outlet also reported that Grei Mendez De Ventura's husband could be seen on footage moving something out of Divino Niño Daycare before anyone arrived at the site.
The toddler, who later died from an opioid overdose, Nicholas Feliz Dominici, and three others at the day care were reportedly exposed to fentanyl, but Mendez allegedly didn't hurry to call for help, instead contacting her husband, her cousin, Carlisto Acevedo Brito, and one of her friends first.
At a news conference on Monday, the New York Police Department’s chief of detectives, Joseph Kenny, said the fentanyl was found under a mat where the kids slept earlier that day. Narcan, a medication used for overdose-reversal, was given to the other children who showed symptoms of exposure. They went to the hospital and are said to be doing fine now, The New York Times reported.
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The day care was operated from within an apartment, which is allowed in New York with mandatory licensing and inspections, according to the Associated Press. Kilo presses, used for packaging drugs, were also found in a closet at the day care. Another one was found in a tenant's room. The tenant, Carlisto Acevedo Brito, and Mendez have been charged with murder.
On the day of the incident, Mendez reportedly spent time with the kids, cooking for them then taking them to the nap area for nap time. She allegedly got scared when one of the children, Dominici, wasn't waking up.
When they arrived, emergency responders noticed that the kids exhibited signs of opioid overdose. The three kids that were still at the day care when emergency responders arrived were taken to the hospital, while the fourth child was taken to the hospital by her mom, according to AP.
People who operate home day care services in New York also must complete a background check, which the owner of the day care completed. Whether or not the tenant had a background check performed remains unclear. The employees and volunteers at the day care also completed all required training. Additionally, the day care passed two city inspections since its opening, including a surprise inspection on September 6.
“I’m very sorry, but one of the things my child care inspectors are not trained to do is look for fentanyl. But maybe we need to start," Dr. Ashwin Vasan, the heath commissioner, said.
The New York Post reported that neighbors have speculated that the day care could be a drug front. The outlet says that neighbors have seen adults visit the day care with no kids. The neighbors claimed to have only started seeing kids recently.
“Apparently when the day care was not open, people came in and out of the apartment," Andres Aranda, an attorney for Mendez, told AP. Eric Adams, mayor of New York City, said the inspectors did what they could. "They did their job," Adams said. "Who did not do their job were the people who were there to protect the children. Everything appeared normal based on the standards we put in place to make sure, surely not in a safe environment.”
The New York Post reported that before emergency personnel got to the day care, the owner's husband made an appearance and left after a few minutes, carrying a large bag. Mendez also allegedly talked to her husband on the phone several times after that, the outlet reported.
“We’re not going to allow this incident to take place and ignore this as just another day, another tragedy in the city," Adams said. He also added that "the inspectors did not go in and see a drug lab and ignore it."
