‘We trusted this day care’: Father of boy who died from fentanyl speaks out

As two of the 3 suspects pleaded now not in charge Thursday to homicide fees within the loss of life of a 1-year-old boy from fentanyl publicity at a Bronx, New York, day care heart in September, the kid’s father gave an emotional commentary at a news convention and his mom broke down in tears within the court docket.

Defendants Grei Mendez, the operator of the day care heart, and Carlisto Acevedo Brito entered their pleas in a Bronx court docket, in resolution to the costs stemming from a case prosecutors mentioned “shocked the conscience” of New York City.

The incident left 3 different youngsters sickened from publicity to fentanyl stashed on the day care heart, government mentioned.

Mendez and Brito entered their pleas when they have been each indicted Thursday at the side of Mendez’s husband, Felix Herrera Garcia, on fees of homicide with wicked indifference to human existence in reference to the loss of life of 22-month-old Nicholas Dominici, whom the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner made up our minds died of fentanyl publicity on the Bronx day care heart, which prosecutors mentioned was once a entrance for drug trafficking.

“This is a catastrophe. Our sorrow is matched only by the outrage because these babies were used as shields to protect a narcotics operation,” Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark declared at a news convention Thursday, which was once attended by means of the households of the youngsters who have been uncovered to fentanyl on the day care heart.

Mendez, 36, Garcia, 34, and Brito, 41, a cousin of Garcia and a tenant of Mendez’s, have all been charged with second-degree homicide, felony ownership of a managed substance, manslaughter, attack, and kid endangerment. Garcia is predicted to be arraigned later Thursday.

During Thursday’s court docket listening to, Nicholas Dominici’s mom sat within the court docket gallery, wailing.

“I understand that justice will be done,” Nicholas’ father, Otoniel Feliz, informed newshounds Thursday. “It will not bring my son back.”

Feliz’s hand shook as he displayed {a photograph} of his son, and his voice broke with emotion.

“We trusted this day care because everything was going OK,” Feliz mentioned. “Every single day, the lady in charge sent text messages to my wife. We trusted her because she kept us updated. We never imagined this was going to happen. Had I known I wouldn’t have sent him there.”

“We feel betrayed because that person showed us that she was going to be like a mother to our son,” Feliz said, referring to owner Mendez.

Clark said her office would be taking aim at day care centers run out of private homes like the one Mendez operated.

“This case is the bleakest reminder that we should be relentless in taking away drug traffickers from our neighborhood,” Clark said. “We gets justice for them. But what we need to do is make certain this by no means, ever occurs once more to some other kid.”

Clark said she is angry, hurt and saddened by the case.

“This was once now not in reality a day care heart, this was once a drug operation. They used young children as a defend,” Clark said.

Investigators revealed Thursday they found an unopened package of Narcan in a medicine cabinet at the day care. Investigators released a photo of the package after it had fallen into a sink.

Prosecutors also shared a new image of the drugs in a hidden compartment beneath the floor and a photo of the play mat beneath which there was a trap door that concealed additional narcotics.

Garcia, who allegedly fled the day care center on the day Nicholas died and was arrested in Mexico after a weeklong manhunt, is also in custody on state murder charges in the case.

All 3 defendants also are charged in a separate federal case with narcotics ownership with intent to distribute leading to loss of life, and conspiracy to distribute narcotics leading to loss of life.

Garcia appeared in federal court on Wednesday and was detained on consent. He was not arraigned in federal court and has not entered a plea in either the state or federal cases.

A fourth defendant, Renny Antonio Parra Paredes, was also arrested in the fentanyl exposure incident and is facing federal charges of conspiracy to distribute narcotics.

All 4 suspects are scheduled to seem in federal court docket on Oct. 12.

The suspects are accused of storing a kilo of fentanyl in a closet at the day care center, prosecutors said. Six kilos of fentanyl-laced heroin and other controlled substances were found beneath a trap door at the center that was hidden by a padded mat that the children used to nap on, prosecutors said.

Mendez known as 911 on Sept. 15, reporting that the youngsters had fallen unwell, consistent with police. Investigators mentioned that prior to Mendez known as 911, she phoned her husband.

In all, four children were sickened from fentanyl exposure at the day care center, and paramedics used Narcan to revive three of them. Nicholas could not be resuscitated and died at a hospital. The children who survived ranged in age from 8 months to 2 years, officials said.

Mendez could also be accused of deleting greater than 20,000 textual content messages that she and her husband exchanged between March 2021 and the day Nicholas Dominici died from fentanyl publicity, government mentioned.

Garcia was captured on surveillance video allegedly fleeing the day care via a back alley and carrying two heavy shopping bags while the children were ill, according to prosecutors.

Mendez’s legal professional claimed she was once now not conscious the medication have been stashed on the heart. Attorneys for the opposite suspects have now not publicly commented at the fees.