Tue Mar 04 00:35:00 UTC 2025: ## Daycare Owner Sentenced to 45 Years for Toddler’s Fentanyl Death
**New York, March 4, 2025** – Grei Mendez, 37, the owner of a Bronx daycare center, was sentenced to 45 years in prison on Monday for her role in the fentanyl death of a 22-month-old child. Mendez pleaded guilty to federal drug charges, including conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death. Her husband, Felix Herrera-Garcia, received the same sentence last year.
The tragic incident occurred on September 15, 2023, when Nicholas Feliz-Dominici ingested fentanyl at the Divino Niño daycare. He died after being rushed to the hospital. Three other children were also exposed but survived thanks to the administration of Narcan. Police discovered a large quantity of fentanyl hidden in the daycare, including a brick of the drug found on top of children’s playmats.
During the sentencing, Mendez apologized to the families affected, claiming the incident was an accident. However, prosecutors argued she ignored warning signs of illness and subsequently lied to law enforcement and destroyed evidence. The judge, Jed S. Rakoff, noted Mendez prioritized her own family’s welfare over the safety of the children in her care.
Feliz-Dominici’s parents delivered emotional victim impact statements, describing their unbearable grief. The judge, while acknowledging the emotional weight of the case, emphasized the importance of upholding the law.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky highlighted the severity of Mendez’s actions, stating she endangered infants as young as eight months old by storing a large amount of fentanyl in their play area. The minimum sentence for the charges was 20 years. The defense presented evidence of Mendez’s own childhood trauma, but this did not sway the judge’s decision.
First Piper 