2 Charged After Death of 1-Year-Old in N.Y.C. Daycare Incident Involving ‘Opioid Exposure’

Divino Niño Daycare.Photo:Google Maps

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A man and woman have been charged after a1-year-old boy died from an apparent “opioid exposure"at a New York City daycare last week, authorities said.

Grei Mendez, who operated the Bronx-based Divino Niño Daycare from an apartment, and Carlisto Acevedo Brito, who lived in the apartment, according toTheNew York Times, were arrested Saturday in the death of Nicholas Feliz Dominici, PEOPLE can confirm.

Mendez, 36, and Brito, 41, were arrested on charges of assault, criminal possession of a controlled substance and narcotic drug, endangering the welfare of a child and manslaughter, among others, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).

It is not immediately clear if Brito or Mendez have obtained lawyers who could comment to PEOPLE on their behalf.

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In addition to Dominici’s death, three other young children were hospitalized as a result of theFriday afternoon incident, New York City MayorEric Adams, NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban and NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny revealed during apress conferencelast week.

Adams said that four children at the daycare “appeared to have come in contact with an opioid that led to hospitalization for three of the children, and one child is DOA — died — from this interaction.”

“All three children were unresponsive and demonstrating symptoms of opioid exposure,” Kenny added during the press conference. “Narcan was administered to all three of these children in an attempt to save their lives.”

The children were identified as an 8-month-old girl, a 1-year-old boy and a 2-year-old boy, the NYPD said in a prior statement shared with PEOPLE.

The NYPD also confirmed that Dominic was pronounced dead at Montefiore Medical Center, where all three children were taken to seek medical attention.

Kenny also said during the press conference that another young child at the daycare had suffered from similar symptoms.

“We learned that another child — a male, 2 years old — was removed from this same daycare center earlier in the day, at 12:15 p.m. Once home, the child’s mother noticed that the kid was acting lethargic and unresponsive. He was brought to BronxCare hospital, where he was administered Narcan and his life was saved,” Kenny said.

Officials also noted the daycare’s clean history in relation to health violations.

The commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Dr. Ashwin Vasan, stated that the “home-based childcare site,” which started operating in January, had no violations found.

source: people.com