**Title: Tragedy Strikes at Bronx Day Care as Infant Dies and Children Hospitalized in Fentanyl Exposure**
**Subtitle: Day Care Owner’s Husband Flees the Scene, Third Suspect Still at Large**
*KINGSBRIDGE, The Bronx (WABC) –* In a shocking turn of events, a Bronx day care owner’s husband was caught on video fleeing the scene amid a deadly fentanyl exposure, leading to the tragic death of a one-year-old and the hospitalization of three other young children, the police reported on Friday.
Nicholas Dominici, aged 1, lost his life on Friday after being exposed to fentanyl while in the care of Divino Nino Daycare on 2707 Morris Ave. in Kingsbridge. Reports indicate that the children ate something around 1 p.m. and took a nap, but when workers tried to wake them up at 2:30 p.m., three of them were found unconscious. Dominici was pronounced dead at Montefiore Hospital.
Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41, and Grei Mendez, 36, have been charged with 11 counts, including murder, manslaughter, and assault. Authorities are currently searching for Mendez’s husband, who is considered a third suspect in the case.
During the investigation, detectives discovered that Mendez had spoken to her husband multiple times in the aftermath of the incident, instead of immediately calling 911. Surveillance footage also captured individuals, including Mendez’s husband, leaving the day care with bags of unknown contents.
Inside the home-based day care, law enforcement found drug production equipment and a kilo of fentanyl. Further inspection revealed that fentanyl had been concealed under the mats where the children slept, leading detectives to believe that they had been exposed to the drug throughout the day.
Additionally, three kilo presses, commonly used for packaging drugs such as fentanyl, were found in a hallway closet near Brito’s room. Health officials emphasized the dangers of fentanyl, which is responsible for 80% of overdoses in the city.
Mayor Eric Adams expressed outrage over the incident, calling for a “full national assault” on the drug. He stated, “This is total madness that we lost a child to this dangerous substance. And we almost lost four children to this dangerous substance.”
Amid the ongoing investigation, Mendez’s attorney claimed that his client was unaware of the drugs being stored in her day care by her husband’s cousin, to whom she rented a room.
The tragedy has prompted questions regarding the city’s inspection process for day care facilities. While city inspectors recently conducted a surprise visit to the day care and found no violations, Mayor Adams pointed out that the responsibility lies with the individuals directly caring for the children. “They broke that trust,” he declared.
Following the incident, all children were removed from the day care, and a search warrant was executed to investigate further. The fire department conducted tests for environmental hazards and ruled out carbon monoxide exposure. A device used for drug packaging was subsequently discovered.
As the investigation unfolds, a Grand Jury is scheduled to be convened on Thursday. The community remains in shock over the tragic loss and is calling for stricter measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
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*A 2-year-old boy is currently in critical condition, while an 8-month-old girl and another 2-year-old boy were rushed to the hospital on Friday. However, Jaziel Lino, one of the 2-year-old boys, miraculously survived the fentanyl exposure and has been discharged.*
In an emotional interview, Otoniel Feliz, father of the deceased infant, mourned the loss of his son and expressed his devastation: “I love him, I miss him, I want him back.” Feliz recalled the heartbreaking moment when his wife, on her way to pick up their son early, received a call and witnessed the arrival of the ambulance instead.
The day care, which opened in January and catered to children aged 6 weeks to 12 years, had recently passed a surprise inspection with no violations reported.
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