Former Bronx daycare operator, Grei Mendez, received a 45-year prison sentence for the fentanyl-related death of a toddler under her care in September 2023. Mendez pled guilty in October to charges, including conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

The charges arose from the tragic death of 22-month-old Nicholas Dominici, who was exposed to fentanyl at the daycare. Three other children, two 2-year-olds and an 8-month-old, were also hospitalized after being found unresponsive in the daycare's basement.

During the sentencing, Nicholas's mother, Zoila Dominici, delivered a powerful statement expressing her unforgiveness towards Mendez. "Forty-five years is not enough," Dominici stated, according to reports. "I do not forgive you. Let God forgive you." The court also heard that Mendez had Narcan kits on site but failed to administer them to the children. Prosecutor Maggie Lynaugh emphasized this point, saying, "She had the key to helping these children, and she didn’t use it."

When emergency services arrived, Mendez reportedly did not disclose the possibility of an opioid overdose. Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky stated that Mendez had endangered the children by allowing them to play and sleep in an environment where over 11 kilograms of fentanyl was hidden. Court documents indicate that Mendez and her co-conspirators used the Divino Niño Daycare as a front for fentanyl and heroin distribution from approximately June 2022 to September 2023, storing the drugs in compartments beneath the playroom floor.

Nicholas's father, Otoniel Feliz, expressed his grief, stating, "She let my only son die. She didn’t do anything. We didn’t just lose Nicholas. We lost our life." Mendez, while maintaining the incident was unintentional, acknowledged the Dominici family's suffering. "Believe me, this has left me traumatized," Mendez said. "I cannot erase this from my mind."

Mendez's husband, Felix Herrera Garcia, was apprehended in Sinaloa, Mexico, in September 2023. Other alleged co-conspirators, Renny Antonio Parra Paredes (aka "El Gallo") and Carlisto Acevedo Brito, also face charges related to the case, with Brito facing the same charge of narcotics distribution resulting in death as Mendez. Podolsky emphasized that the sentence reflects the commitment of law enforcement to hold accountable those who exploit children in the drug trade.