A taped parcel containing thousands of dollars in fentanyl was discovered inside the New York City day care center where a 1-year-old infant died of an opiate overdose last week, according to a court document.
According to Joseph Kenny, the chief of detectives for the New York Police Department, the substance was discovered next to a mat where the kids had taken a nap. Approximately one kilogram of fentanyl and a press mechanism used to mix it with other drugs had already been found by police inside a cupboard in a corridor leading to the flat, the police reported. According to a criminal complaint, Brito was using the next room, which included a second press.
The proprietor of the daycare facility insisted she was unaware of the existence of the extremely strong narcotic that harmed three other young children, including an 8-month-old girl who tested positive for using fentanyl, and caused an 8-month-old daughter to get ill.
On Sunday, Grei Mendez, 36, who ran the Divino Nio daycare out of an apartment in the Bronx, entered a not-guilty plea to the murder allegation against Nicholas Dominici. Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41, a guy who leased a room in the Bronx residence, is awaiting arraignment on the same set of allegations.
After being arraigned Sunday night, Mendez—who also works as a home health aide—was sent to Rikers Island without being given a chance to post bail.
The daycare center had begun operations in January of this year. Authorities said that it passed both of its inspections, including a surprise examination earlier this month.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Even in small doses, it can be deadly. One kilo of Fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. Even 2 milligrams of Fentanyl can be lethal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance and past usage.
