What to Know
- The woman who operated a Bronx day care center where a 1-year-old child died of an opioid overdose deleted more than 21,000 encrypted messages to her husband after infant's death, according to court documents
- Grei Mendez and Carlisto Acevedo Brito, who rented a room inside the Kingsbridge apartment where the day care was operated, were hit with federal charges; Another man, suspected drug dealer Renny Paredes, was charged days later, before Mendez's husband was captured in Mexico
- The charges come after authorities discovered four young children – ranging in age from 8 months to 2 years old – showing signs of suspected opioid overdose after spending time at the Bronx day care center, Divino Niño.
The husband of a Bronx day care owner was caught by authorities in Mexico, according to multiple law enforcement sources, almost two weeks removed from being seen on security camera fleeing the scene where a 1-year-old suffered a deadly fentanyl overdose.
Three sources told NBC New York the man was arrested by Mexican police and Drug Enforcement Administration agent while on a bus heading to the state of Sinaloa. U.S. Marshals assisted in the arrest.
The husband, who was not immediately identified but was married to day care owner Grei Mendez, traveled from New York to Texas and authorities started tracking him from the border, according to a federal law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the investigation.
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The arrest comes just a day after a third person, a suspected drug dealer, was apprehended in connection with the death of 1-year-old Nicholas Dominici.
Renny Paredes worked in concert and supplied the materials and drugs to those involved in the trafficking at the Kingsbridge building, senior law enforcement officials told NBC New York. Paredes, 38, was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death.
"I promised last week that we would continue to work to bring those involved in the child poisonings at Divino Niño daycare to justice. Since then, this Office and our law enforcement partners have worked around the clock to identify and apprehend additional individuals who are responsible," said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams. "Today’s arrest is one more step toward obtaining justice for the child-victims of this heinous offense and their families."
According to the criminal complaint, Paredes conspired with Mendez and Carlisto Acevedo Brito, among others, to distribute fentanyl at places including the day care, where they kept large amounts of the narcotics. If convicted, Paredes faces a minimum of 20 years behind bars, and could serve life in prison.
Last week, a search warrant led police detectives to a new discovery inside the day care center: a floor trap door of drugs.
NYPD detectives found the trap door beneath the floor where kids slept, according to police. Underneath a wooden trap door several feet wide in each direction, police shared photos of the fentanyl, other narcotics and paraphernalia found inside. Law enforcement also found materials used to package narcotics, such as glassine envelopes used for retail distribution of drugs, which had been stamped in red with the words "RED DAWN."
Those same stamped envelopes were found at Paredes' apartment as well, according to the criminal complaint.
As police searched Paredes' Bronx apartment, they allegedly found shopping bags with tools and instruments used to prepare and distribute narcotics — items such as strainers, tape, a grinder, plastic bags and digital scales. There were also two clear Ziplock bags filled with a "greyish powder and rectangular, brick-shaped package" both of which seemed to contain drugs, the complaint stated.
"We have evidence to show that it was more than just a day care center. It's clear that there was a drug operation that was happening there," Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said.
A grand jury in the Bronx indicted Mendez and Brito on murder charges. They rented a room inside the building where the day care was operated.
"We're going to have a date coming up within the next week or so where we'll unseal the indictment, and then I'll be able to talk to all the particulars about what happened in the particular case. So the investigation continues, even the recovery of evidence," Clark continued.
Mendez, 33, and Brito, 41, remain at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after being charged last week on federal narcotics possession charges.
The hidden treasure trove of illicit drugs and accompanying contraband were found in addition to the one kilogram of fentanyl recovered from inside a closet next to stacked mats that children napped on, law enforcement officials have said.
The fentanyl is believed to have sickened four children, including Dominici, who died the afternoon of Sept. 15. Three others — ranging in age from 8 months to 2 years old — were hospitalized.
The approximately one kilogram of fentanyl, which was recovered inside a taped package that contained several thousand dollars worth of the deadly drug, was found in a closet next to stacked mats that children napped on, law enforcement said.
Mendez has maintained she had no knowledge of the presence of the highly-potent opioid, which sickened three other young children, including an 8-month-old girl who tested positive for fentanyl use.
Along with the fentanyl, police said they also found two press devices used to combine the drug with other narcotics. Both the drugs and one of the devices were inside the hallway closet connected to an apartment Brito was said to be staying in. A second press was located inside the adjoining room occupied by Brito, according to a criminal complaint.
Mendez told police that she thoroughly cleaned the day care, Divino Niño, six days a week and that the kilo press found at the scene could have been left there by a prior tenant, the court documents state. She also said there had been no other visitors to the day care on Friday — even though her husband was seen on surveillance footage carrying bags out of the day care just minutes before first responders arrived, as well as earlier in the day, the federal complaint stated.
Prosecutors said that Mendez made three phone calls before dialing 911, including one to another day care employee and two to her husband, as they allegedly "tried to cover up" what happened. Then after police were called, Mendez allegedly made several more phone calls to her husband. Her husband came to the apartment, stayed for about two minutes, then left out a back alleyway carrying two full shopping bags, court documents state — all while the children were unresponsive and waiting on medical care.
The day care facility opened in Jan. 2023. It passed both of its inspections, authorities said, including a surprise visit made by inspectors earlier this month.
Associated Press reporter Jake Offenhartz contributed to this report.
