Former NYC daycare owner learns fate following toddler's fentanyl poisoning death

A erstwhile Bronx, New York daycare proprietor has been sentenced to 45 years successful situation aft a toddler died successful her attraction from ingesting fentanyl successful September 2023.

The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced connected Monday that Grei Mendez pleaded blameworthy successful October to charges including conspiracy to administer narcotics resulting successful death.

The charges stem from the decease of 22-month-old Nicholas Dominici, who was exposed to fentanyl astatine the daycare.

Three different children besides suffered superior injuries and had to beryllium hospitalized aft authorities recovered 2 2-year-old boys and an 8-month-old girl, who were unresponsive, successful the basement of the Bronx daycare facility.

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Grei Mendez, a erstwhile Bronx daycare owner, has been sentenced to 45 years successful situation aft a toddler died from ingesting fentanyl successful September 2023. (WABC-TV via AP, File)

The parent of Dominici, Zoila Dominici, confronted Mendez successful tribunal and "she'd ne'er forgive her" for what she fto hap to her son, the New York Post reported.

"It is not imaginable to forgive thing similar this. Forty-five years is not enough," Dominici said during an affectional testimony.

"I bash not forgive you. Let God forgive you," Dominici continued. 

During pre-sentencing, it was revealed successful a tribunal filing that Mendez had Narcan kits astatine the daycare, but did not effort to revive the children, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District.

"She had the cardinal to helping these children, and she didn’t usage it," Maggie Lynaugh, a national prosecutor, said successful tribunal Monday.

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In this photograph provided by the New York City Police Department, narcotics, including fentanyl, and cause paraphernalia prevarication stored successful the level of a time attraction center, Sept. 21, 2023, successful New York.  (Courtesy NYPD via AP, File)

When archetypal responders arrived, Mendez failed to notation that the kids could beryllium suffering from an opioid overdose, the ailment read. 

"Grei Mendez operated a daycare retired of a basement flat successful the Bronx successful which ample quantities of deadly fentanyl were mixed, packaged, and stored," Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said successful a statement.

"She enactment babies arsenic young arsenic 8 months aged straight successful harm’s mode arsenic they slept, played, and ate successful a country wherever implicit 11 kilograms of fentanyl was hidden underneath their feet, starring to the decease of 1 kid and the poisoning of others."

According to the complaint, the indictment, and different documents, from astir June 2022 done September 2023, Mendez and others conspired to administer narcotics retired of Divino Niño Daycare successful the Bronx. 

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One kid is dormant and 3 others person been hospitalized aft perchance consuming fentanyl astatine a Bronx time attraction halfway connected Friday afternoon. (Peter Gerber for Fox News Digital)

Officials said Mendez and her co-conspirators maintained much than 11 kilograms of fentanyl and heroin successful concealed compartments, oregon traps, located underneath the level tiles successful the playroom of the daycare.    

The outlet reported that Dominici burst into tears successful the courtroom arsenic prosecutors recalled her son’s last moments. 

When asked to code the court, Otoniel Feliz, Dominici's husband, said, "She fto my lone lad die. She didn’t bash anything."

"We didn’t conscionable suffer Nicholas. We mislaid our life," Feliz added.

The outlet reported that Mendez told the tribunal that "it was ne'er my intention" for the children to beryllium poisoned.

"I bash privation each to cognize it was an accident," Mendez said, portion utilizing a Spanish interpreter.

She past claimed to "know the suffering" that the Dominici's were feeling, arsenic she is simply a parent herself and is being locked distant from 4 children of her own.

"Believe me, this has near maine traumatized," Mendez said. "I cannot erase this from my mind."

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One of the conspirators, Mendez's husband, Felix Herrera Garcia, was arrested successful September 2023 successful Sinaloa, wherever Mexico’s Sinaloa cause trafficking cartel, erstwhile tally by Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, is based. 

The different conspirators arrested included 38-year-old Renny Antonio Parra Paredes, besides known arsenic "El Gallo," and Mendez's neighbor, Carlisto Acevedo Brito, who were some charged with conspiracy to administer narcotics resulting successful death.

Brito, similar Mendez, was besides charged with narcotics distribution resulting successful death.

"No punishment tin marque up for a kid lost, but today’s condemnation sends the connection that this Office and our instrumentality enforcement partners volition enactment tirelessly to bring to justness anyone who uses children arsenic a shield successful the cause trade," Podolsky said. 

Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner contributed to this report. 

Stepheny Price is simply a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, nationalist transgression cases, amerciable immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas tin beryllium sent to [email protected]