Former NYC Daycare Owner Sentenced for Toddler’s Tragic Fentanyl Death
A former Bronx, New York daycare owner has been sentenced to 45 years in prison after a toddler died in her care from ingesting fentanyl in September 2023.
The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced on Monday that Grei Mendez pleaded guilty in October to charges including conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death.
The heartbreaking charges stem from the death of 22-month-old Nicholas Dominici, who was unknowingly exposed to fentanyl while in the daycare’s care. His tragic demise has raised questions about safety and responsibility in childcare settings.
In a sinister twist, three other children suffered serious injuries and required hospitalization after being found unresponsive — two two-year-old boys and an eight-month-old girl — in the basement of the Bronx daycare facility. The consequences of negligence and drug trafficking have unfolded in shocking detail.
During the trial, Zoila Dominici confronted Mendez with an intensity that echoed the pain of any parent grappling with loss. “She’d never forgive her,” the New York Post reported, capturing the emotions coursing through the courtroom.
“It is not possible to forgive something like this. Forty-five years is not enough,” Dominici said, her voice shaking with anguish.
Mendez’s attorney had maintained her innocence, but evidence revealed a grim reality. Court filings indicated that she possessed Narcan kits at the daycare, a lifeline in cases of overdose, yet failed to utilize them. “She had the key to helping these children, and she didn’t use it,” remarked federal prosecutor Maggie Lynaugh in court, emphasizing the lack of accountability.
First responders arrived to chaos, and Mendez’s negligence was striking. She didn’t mention the possibility of an opioid overdose; her silence mirrored a chilling apathy in a situation calling for urgent action. “Grei Mendez operated a daycare out of a basement apartment in the Bronx in which large quantities of deadly fentanyl were mixed, packaged, and stored,” noted Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
The chilling details of this case reveal just how dire the situation was for the children involved. Mendez put infants at profound risk, allowing over 11 kilograms of fentanyl to be concealed beneath their play area. The tragic outcome resulted in one child’s death and left others poisoned, irrevocably transforming their families.
In a poignant moment, Dominici’s husband, Otoniel Feliz, faced the court with raw emotion, saying, “She let my only son die. She didn’t do anything.” His words hung heavily in the air, capturing the overwhelming grief experienced by the family.
Mendez appeared in court, expressing her regret with a mix of defiance and sorrow. “It was never my intention” she said. Her words, however, felt hollow in the aftermath of such tragedy. She attempted to empathize, acknowledging her own role as a mother, yet the sincerity of her regret seemed overshadowed by the gravity of the situation.
A deeper layer to this unfolding drama revealed itself with the arrest of Mendez’s husband, Felix Herrera Garcia, in September 2023, amid whispers of lingering ties to Mexico’s notorious Sinaloa cartel. Accompanying him were Renny Antonio Parra Paredes, known as “El Gallo,” and neighbor Carlisto Acevedo Brito — all connected to a network fueled by danger and death.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasized the seriousness of Mendez’s actions: “No punishment can make up for a child lost, but today’s sentence sends the message that this Office and our law enforcement partners will work tirelessly to bring to justice anyone who uses children as a shield in the drug trade.”
As this tragic case unfolds, it serves as a somber reminder of the vulnerabilities present within our childcare systems. A nursery, once a space for laughter and growth, transformed into a nightmarish scene highlighting systemic failures. In the end, one cannot help but wonder about the lasting impact on a community that trusted Mendez to safeguard their most precious, innocent beings.
