Tragedy Strikes NYC Nursery: Police Launch Manhunt for Husband After Child’s Fentanyl Death

In a heart-wrenching incident, New York City police are intensively searching for the husband of a nursery owner following the tragic death of a one-year-old child from a suspected drug overdose at the facility. Additionally, three other young children were rushed to the hospital.

Nicholas Dominici, a one-year-old toddler, lost his life after inhaling a lethal dose of fentanyl while under the care of the nursery operated by Grei Mendez, who is currently in police custody.

Fentanyl, a synthetic painkiller known to be 50 times more potent than heroin, has been identified as a leading factor behind the surge in drug-related fatalities in the United States.

Law enforcement authorities have made disturbing discoveries during their investigation. It was revealed that fentanyl had been concealed beneath a mat used by the children for napping, turning a place of rest into a tragic scene.

According to the NYPD, charging documents describe the nursery owner’s spouse as a co-conspirator in this harrowing incident. Surveillance footage captured the moment the husband fled the scene before the arrival of the police. As of now, there is no reward being offered for information leading to his arrest.

Miraculously, three children were revived with Narcan, an overdose-reversing drug, following the distressing incident at the Divino Niño nursery located in the Bronx.

Police discovered a substantial quantity of fentanyl, approximately one kilogram, “underneath a mat where the children had been sleeping earlier,” disclosed NYPD chief detective Joseph Kenny on Monday.

Facing serious charges, the owner of Divino Niño nursery, 36-year-old Ms. Mendez, and her tenant, Carlisto Acevedo Brito, aged 41, are now under federal scrutiny for narcotics possession “with intent to distribute resulting in death,” as stated by federal prosecutors.

Alarming details continue to emerge. Surveillance cameras and phone records indicate that Ms. Mendez contacted her husband multiple times after discovering the children in critical condition—before even dialing 911. Upon his arrival, the husband was seen removing several full shopping bags from the nursery, according to officials.

Shockingly, it was also alleged that Ms. Mendez deleted approximately 20,000 text messages from her phone before her arrest. However, authorities managed to recover these critical pieces of evidence.

A lawyer representing Ms. Mendez asserts her innocence, claiming that she was entirely unaware of any drugs being stored within the nursery. Police, on the other hand, emphasize the gravity of the situation by revealing that the fentanyl found at the scene could potentially have fatal consequences for 500,000 individuals.

The Divino Niño nursery had undergone a surprise inspection by city health inspectors on September 6th, just days before the tragic incident. Astonishingly, no violations were identified during this visit.

Mayor Eric Adams offered his support for the inspectors, asserting that they had fulfilled their responsibilities diligently. He emphasized that the real failure lay with those responsible for safeguarding the children.

A father whose two-year-old son survived fentanyl exposure shared that there were signs of concern regarding the nursery. He revealed that he found it suspicious that three men had been observed standing outside the building on both Thursday and Friday.

The alarming reach of fentanyl across the United States was highlighted in new research, indicating that virtually every corner of the country has been impacted by this deadly substance. Tragically, this includes a growing number of very young children who have fallen victim to its devastating effects.

Over the weekend in Washington state, one child tragically lost their life, while two others became seriously ill in separate incidents linked to fentanyl.

Prosecutors across the nation are pursuing charges against parents whose children have suffered the ultimate consequences of consuming this lethal drug.