Wed Mar 05 01:10:00 UTC 2025: ## Bronx Daycare Operator Sentenced to 45 Years for Fentanyl Death of Toddler
**NEW YORK, NY** – Grei Mendez, 37, was sentenced to 45 years in prison Monday for her role in the fentanyl poisoning death of 1-year-old Nicholas Dominici at her Bronx daycare, Divino Niño. The sentencing concludes a case that shocked the city and highlighted the devastating impact of the nation’s fentanyl crisis.
Mendez pleaded guilty to operating a large-scale fentanyl packaging and distribution operation within the daycare apartment, exposing four children, including Dominici, to the deadly drug. Prosecutors stated that Mendez, her husband, and others were deeply involved in the drug trafficking operation, with Mendez directly responsible for placing the infants in harm’s way.
On September 15, 2023, all four children attending the daycare became ill after being exposed to fentanyl hidden in a trapdoor beneath a floor mat. While Mendez initially told the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center that everything was fine, she later called 911 after Nicholas and another child became unresponsive. Surveillance footage captured her husband removing two weighted bags from the apartment shortly before emergency responders arrived.
Investigators discovered over 11 kilograms of fentanyl at the scene. Mendez’s own 2-year-old son also displayed symptoms of fentanyl exposure, but she did not report this to authorities and continued operating the daycare.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky emphasized that the sentence sends a clear message that those who endanger children in the drug trade will face severe consequences. Nicholas’s mother, Zoila Dominici, expressed her grief and the lasting trauma the incident has caused her family. The case underscores the pervasive threat of fentanyl and its devastating impact on innocent lives.
First Piper 