Title: Husband of Bronx Day Care Owner Arrested in Mexico After Toddler’s Death from Fentanyl Exposure
Date: September 26, 2023
In a tragic incident that shook the Bronx community, Nicholas Dominici, a 1-year-old boy, tragically lost his life due to fentanyl exposure at a New York City day care. Three other children were also hospitalized as a result. As the investigation into the case intensified, law enforcement sources have revealed that Felix Herrera Garcia, the husband of the day care owner, has been arrested in Mexico after a week-long manhunt.
Garcia’s arrest took place on a bus in Sinaloa, Mexico, and was the culmination of a joint effort by the State Preventive Police and Municipal Police. The suspect, who holds Dominican nationality, was initially detained for administrative offenses. However, further checks with foreign authorities revealed that Garcia had two arrest warrants for drug conspiracy and the homicide of a child from the United States.
Mexican authorities provided a statement confirming the details of Garcia’s capture. Following his arrest, he was handed over to immigration authorities in order to determine his legal situation in accordance with the law of the neighboring country.
Court records indicate that Garcia was captured on surveillance images fleeing the Bronx day care with heavy shopping bags while the children were suffering from fentanyl exposure. These images, obtained from a federal criminal complaint, showcase the suspect carrying the bags behind the day care building.
The incident, which occurred on September 15, resulted in the tragic death of Nicholas Dominici. Three other children, aged between 8 months and 2 years, were also hospitalized and treated with Narcan, an opioid antidote. The presence of fentanyl in one victim’s urine confirmed the exposure to the deadly substance.
During the investigation, law enforcement officials discovered a kilo of fentanyl hidden in kids’ play mats at the day care. They also found a device used to press drugs into bricks for illegal sale, along with other narcotics and drug paraphernalia concealed in a trap floor beneath the day care’s play area.
The first two individuals to be arrested in connection with the case were Grei Mendez, the owner of the day care who is married to Garcia, and Carlisto Acevedo Brito, Garcia’s cousin and Mendez’s tenant. Both face federal charges of narcotics possession with intent to distribute resulting in death, conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death, as well as state charges including murder.
Federal authorities have been committed to holding anyone linked to the day care accountable. As a result, this weekend witnessed the arrest of a third person, Renny Antonio Parra Paredes, who has been charged in federal court with conspiracy to distribute narcotics.
The death of Nicholas Dominici and the subsequent arrests have left the Bronx community in shock. Authorities continue to investigate the case thoroughly to ensure justice is served for the victims and their families.