US Nursery Child Dies After Coming Into Contact With Drug

Web Desk

20th Sep, 2023. 06:19 pm
Share
- Listen
- Font size
  - Small
  - Medium
  - Large
- Dark Mode
- Save
- Print

Articles

1-year-old child dies from fentanyl overdose at NYC nursery
Three other children were hospitalized after exposure to fentanyl
Nursery owner and tenant charged with drug conspiracy and murder

Police in New York City have reported a tragic incident at a nursery where a one-year-old child named Nicholas Dominici, who had been attending the facility for just a week, passed away from a suspected drug overdose.

The fentanyl responsible for his death was concealed underneath a mat in the nap room while he was sleeping.

Additionally, three other children, aged between eight months and two years, were rushed to the hospital after being exposed to this potent narcotic at the daycare center in the Bronx.

Two individuals are now facing drug conspiracy and murder charges in connection with this case.

Authorities suspect that the children inadvertently inhaled fentanyl while at the nursery, prompting the need for three of them to receive Narcan, an emergency medication used to counter opioid overdoses.

Furthermore, during their investigation, law enforcement reportedly uncovered three devices commonly used for packaging large quantities of drugs.

Federal prosecutors have filed charges against Grei Mendez, the proprietor of the Divino Niño nursery located in the Bronx, and her tenant, Carlisto Acevedo Brito, aged 36 and 41 respectively.

These charges include narcotics possession “with the intent to distribute resulting in death” and a conspiracy to distribute narcotics leading to fatal outcomes.

Otoniel Feliz, the grieving father of Nicholas Dominici, shared with the media that he is still grappling with the loss of his young child.

“We allege the defendants poisoned four babies and killed one of them because they were running a drug operation from a daycare center,” Manhattan US Attorney Damien Williams said on Tuesday.

“A daycare center – a place where children should be kept safe, not surrounded by a drug that can kill them in an instant.”

According to law enforcement, the narcotics seized from the nursery had the potential to cause fatal harm to approximately 500,000 individuals.

Fentanyl, an extremely potent synthetic painkiller, that is 50 times more powerful than heroin, has been linked to the increasing number of drug-related deaths in the United States.

Surveillance footage and phone records indicate that Ms. Mendez made multiple calls to her husband after discovering the children’s condition before contacting 911.

Her husband subsequently arrived at the scene and removed several full shopping bags from the nursery, as reported by officials.

Prosecutors have alleged that Ms. Mendez deleted roughly 20,000 text messages from her phone before her arrest, though authorities were ultimately able to recover these messages.

Law enforcement is actively searching for her husband, who has been identified as a co-conspirator in court documents.

He was captured on camera fleeing the location following the incident, according to police.

A lawyer representing Ms. Mendez has stated that she denies the charges and claims to have been unaware of the presence of drugs in the nursery.

“Her only crime was renting her room to someone who had a kilo,” said her attorney, Andres Aranda, according to media.

“There is no evidence that she did anything but care properly for these children.”

The legal representation status of Mr. Brito, who happens to be a cousin of Ms. Mendez’s husband, remains unclear at this time.

Both suspects have been deemed as potential flight risks by law enforcement and are currently held in custody without the possibility of bail. In the event of a conviction, they could face life imprisonment.

City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan reported that on September 6th, city health inspectors conducted an unannounced visit to the nursery. During the inspection, no violations were identified.

“I’m very sorry, but one of the things that my childcare inspectors are not trained to do is look for fentanyl. But maybe they need to,” he said at a news conference on Monday.

During the same press conference, Mayor Eric Adams urged for a comprehensive nationwide effort to combat the potency of this drug.

“A tenth of a size of a fingernail can kill an adult. So imagine what it could do to a child,” he said, holding up a photo showing a lethal dose in comparison to a one-cent coin.

Recent research reveals that virtually every region in the United States, including Hawaii, Alaska, and Rhode Island, has been impacted by the presence of fentanyl.

In 2010, the total number of drug overdose fatalities in the country was fewer than 40,000, and fentanyl was responsible for less than 10% of those deaths.

However, by the year 2021, the annual drug overdose death toll had risen to over 100,000, with an estimated 66% of these fatalities linked to fentanyl.

Also Read

India warns citizens in Canada of hate crimes, anti-India activities

The warning comes after a recent escalation in tensions between the two...

To stay informed about current events, please like our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BOLUrduNews/.
Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/bolnewsurdu01 and stay updated with the latest news.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://bit.ly/3Tv8a3P to watch news from Pakistan and around the world.

US Nursery Child Dies After Coming Into Contact With Drug

Web Desk

Articles