The owner of a Bronx day care was taken into custody on Friday after one child died and three others were sickened by opioid exposure.
Investigators sweeping Divino Nino daycare found a drug-packaging device, the New York Daily News reported.
“This is an active investigation, and we are going to find out the cause of this incident,” New York Mayor Eric Adams told reporters on Saturday. “This crisis is real, and it is a wake-up call.”
Police were called to the scene shortly after 2:30 p.m. Two children — an 8-month-old girl and a 2-year-old boy — were revived with Narcan and taken to a hospital, police said, according to WPIX. But medics were unable to revive 1-year-old Nicholas Feliz Dominici, and the boy was pronounced dead at Montefiore Hospital.
“My heart is broken,” the boy’s father told the Daily News.
New York Chief Detectives Joseph Kenny said a fourth child, another 2-year-old boy, was removed from the daycare by his mother around noon and brought home. The mother found him to be “lethargic and unresponsive,” so she brought him to BronxCare, where Narcan was administered, WPIX said.
“His life was saved,” said Kenny.
The state’s Office of Children and Family Services said it was part of the investigation but provided no details, according to the Daily News.
“OCFS’s top priority is the health and safety of all children in child care programs and we are deeply saddened by this horrific tragedy,” said an agency statement. “We cannot comment further on an active agency and law enforcement investigation.”
According to WABC, Divino Nino is a home-based daycare that opened in January and passed a surprise inspection last week. Investigators said the children had lunch and took a nap at about 1 p.m. When the staff went to wake them at 2:30, three children were unconscious.
After the children were removed, the fire department tested the air for carbon monoxide and found none. At that point, police suspect opioid exposure and obtained a search warrant, finding the kilo press used to package drugs.
Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said it isn’t clear yet how the children came in contact with the drugs or what kind of drugs they were.
Investigators are working to learn who was using the drug packaging set up.
The woman running the daycare and an unidentified man were taken into custody for questioning. Charges were not immediately filed.
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[Featured image: Nicholas Dominici/handout]