A former Bronx, New York daycare owner has been sentenced to 45 years in prison after a toddler died in her care from ingesting fentanyl in September The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced on Monday that Grei Mendez pleaded guilty in October to charges including conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death.
The charges stem from the death of month-old Nicholas Dominici, who was exposed to fentanyl at the daycare. Three other children also suffered serious injuries and had to be hospitalized after authorities found two 2-year-old boys and an 8-month-old girl, who were unresponsive, in the basement of the Bronx daycare facility.
The mother of Dominici, Zoila Dominici, confronted Mendez in court and "she'd never forgive her" for what she let happen to her son, the New York Post reported. Forty-five years is not enough," Dominici said during an emotional testimony. Let God forgive you," Dominici continued. When first responders arrived, Mendez failed to mention that the kids could be suffering from an opioid overdose, the complaint read.
Officials said Mendez and her co-conspirators maintained more than 11 kilograms of fentanyl and heroin in secret compartments, or traps, located underneath the floor tiles in the playroom of the daycare. When asked to address the court, Otoniel Feliz, Dominici's husband, said, "She let my only son die. We lost our life," Feliz added. The outlet reported that Mendez told the court that "it was never my intention" for the children to be poisoned.
She then claimed to "know the suffering" that the Dominici's were feeling, as she is a mother herself and is being locked away from four children of her own. The other conspirators arrested included year-old Renny Antonio Parra Paredes, also known as "El Gallo," and Mendez's neighbor, Carlisto Acevedo Brito, who were both charged with conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death.
