Two people charged in connection with the death of a toddler from opioid exposure over the weekend have now been charged in federal court with conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death and possession with intent to distribute narcotics resulting in death.
New York police responded to Divino Nino daycare in the Bronx on Friday afternoon and found three children unconscious, as CrimeOnline reported. Narcan revived a 2-year-old boy and a 9-month-old girl, but 1-year-old Nicholas Dominici could not be revived and was pronounced dead at a hospital.
A fourth child was taken to the hospital by his mother after she picked him up from the daycare. Hospital staff revived the 2-year-old boy with Narcan as well.
672302704 U S v Mendez and Acevedo Brito Complaint by kc wildmoon on Scribd
New York authorities charged Grei Mendez, the 36-year-old owner of the daycare, and her tenant, her husband’s 41-year-old cousin Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 11 counts, including murder, manslaughter, and assault.
Police said they found a kilogram of fentanyl in a hallway closet at the daycare, stacked with the children’s play mats. They also found three kilo presses, used to package drugs.
US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams announced the federal charges on Tuesday, WCBS reported.
“This case is different. We allege the defendants poisoned four babies, and killed one of them, because they were running a drug operation from a day care center. A day care center — a place where children should be kept safe, not surrounded by a drug that can kill them in an instant,” Williams said.
Williams detailed Mendez’s attempt to hide the drug operation before calling 911.
“As alleged in the complaint, before emergency personnel arrived at the day care, before they arrived, Mendez and a co-conspirator tried to cover up what happened,” he said. “Seconds before Mendez called before 911, she called a co-conspirator. Minutes later, a con-conspirator arrived at the day care. Minutes later, he left the day care and fled out the back alley, carrying two full shopping bags. And all of that happened while the children, the babies, were suffering from the effects of fentanyl poisoning and in desperate need of help.”
The second co-conspirator is believed to be Mendez’s husband, who was allegedly seen on surveillance footage arriving and then leaving with the shopping bags. Police are searching for him.
Prosecutors also said that Mendez texted her husband that he should get a lawyer as she was talking with investigators.
Brito and Mendez have both denied any knowledge of the drugs.
Investigators say as Mendez was talking to officers she messaged her husband that police were asking about him and suggested he find a lawyer.
Police also searched Brito’s phone, who was renting a bedroom at the daycare. They said Brito received messages in August and September that they believe were related to the distribution of drugs from the day care.
When questioned by detectives, both Brito and Mendez denied having any knowledge of the drugs.
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[Featured image: Nicholas Dominici/handout]
