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More drugs have been found at a Bronx day care where a one-year-old boy died of fentanyl poisoning last week – under a hidden trap door near where where the babies would regularly lay down to sleep.
The discovery, confirmed Thursday by the NYPD, comes five days after cops unmasked Divino Nino Daycare in Kingsbridge as a secret drug mill, following young Nicholas Feliz Dominici’s inhalation of the deadly opioid alongside three other tots.
The other victims – an 8-month-old girl and two 2-year-old boys – survived, but Dominici ultimately succumbed to the notoriously lethal affects of the drug, which is often used to lace pills made by illegal distributers.
Grei Mendez De Ventura, the 36-year-old owner of the daycare, and her cousin-in-law Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41, are now incarcerated on such charges, with feds alleging they used the center as an unsanctioned pill mill unbeknownst to parents.
On Thursday, after finding a brick of fentanyl and working pill press stashed on the premises days earlier, cops announced they uncovered a litany of other drugs and paraphernalia as well, all stashed under the aforementioned secret door.
Cops said they had found enough highly potent fentanyl to kill 500,000 people.
More drugs have been found at a Bronx day care where a one-year-old boy died of fentanyl poisoning last week – under a hidden trap door near where where the babies would regularly lay down to sleep
The discovery comes five days after cops unmasked Divino Nino Daycare in Kingsbridge as a secret drug mill, following a one-year-old’s inhalation of the deadly opioid. It was not clear what substances aside from fentanyl were uncovered during the Wednesday bust
The overdose happened this past Friday in Kingsbridge, at the unassuming daycare feds said doubled as an illegal pill factory
The force shared a statement Thursday afternoon that included photos of the once-secret stash, as the two suspects face potential life sentences for their alleged part in the scheme.
The statement revealed cops made the find during after their initial search of the facility, following the death and three hospitalizations.
‘As part of an ongoing overdose fatality investigation in a Bronx daycare center on 9/15/23, a search warrant was conducted by @NYPDDetectives,’ the tweet from the department read.
‘A large quantity of Fentanyl, other narcotics, & drug paraphernalia was recovered in a trap floor in the play area at the daycare center.’
Cops did not specify what other types of illicit items were uncovered during the bust, but photos show several bags packed with several powderlike substances, some distinctly different from a package of fentanyl already seized days before.
That find came in the form of a kilogram sized brick, found to be fentanyl, located on top of children’s playmats earlier in the week, as well as a ‘kilo press’ used to run the secret drug mill, a federal complaint associated with the ongoing case alleges.
Prosecutors would later claim De Ventura and her husband’s cousin ‘used the day care center front to cloak’ the unassuming facility’s true intent – the mass production of fentanyl to later be sold for a profit.
The complaint further alleges the drug duo would cut up the drugs to be pressed near the area where the children nap, likely leading to the unforeseen overdoses.
Just 2 milligrams of the stuff – which, for reference is similar in appearance to 10 to 15 grains of table salt – is considered lethal.
Pictured: Nicholas Feliz-Dominici, 1, died on Friday after ingesting fentanyl at a Bronx day care
Grei Mendez De Ventura, 36, the owner and her alleged accomplice Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41, have been hit with federal charges. Both face life in prison for their alleged part in the pill mill
A kilogram of fentanyl was stashed on top of play mats at a Bronx daycare center which resulted in the death of a one-year-old boy
A ‘kilo press’, which is typically used to recompress drugs in powder form was discovered and two other presses were found in the day care center
Law enforcement sources believe that the basement under the day care where Brito lived was actually a front for drugs
Sources familiar with the incident – which has earned national attention – told publications like the New York Post and PIX11 how De Ventura reportedly stood on the sidelines as her cohort cut the opioids before their alleged scheme came falling apart Friday, when some particles kicked into the air are believed to have been breathed in by the four youths.
That day, fed claims that Mendez called her husband, who is still being sought by police, two times before dialing 911 to report the overdoses.
The court documents also claimed she deleted more than 21,000 text messages from an encrypted phone app as police moved in on her location.
Authorities found a kilogram block of fentanyl in the same space the children occupied, the federal complaint stated.
‘There, despite the daily presence of children, including infants, the defendants maintained large quantities of fentanyl, including a kilogram of fentanyl stored on top of children’s playmats,’ an affidavit signed by Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Kyle Harrell said.
While Brito’s room, which he rented for $200 a week, had equipment which pointed to a large-scale drug operation, according to police.
A ‘kilo press’, which is typically used to recompress drugs in powder form was discovered and two other presses were found in the day care center.
They are ‘commonly used by narcotics traffickers at ‘mills’ or other locations where narcotic drugs are broken down, combined with fillers or other narcotics, and portioned for sale,’ according to the affidavit.
A small memorial was seen placed at the door of a Bronx day care center Friday, just after the death was announced
‘There, despite the daily presence of children, including infants, the defendants maintained large quantities of fentanyl, including a kilogram of fentanyl stored on top of children’s playmats,’ an affidavit signed by an Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent said
The pair had initially been arrested on state charges on Sunday night, which included murder, manslaughter and assault, and held without bail
Detectives said they had also recovered video of both the husband and other people fleeing the day care with bags of unknown contents in the initial confusion.
On Friday, before police arrived at the Morris Avenue apartment, De Ventura had called several people, including her husband, before calling 911 to get help for the children.
Detectives said they had also recovered video of both the husband and other people fleeing the day care with bags of unknown contents in the initial confusion.
De Ventura and Brito stored large quantities of fentanyl ‘despite the daily presence of children, including infants,’ the criminal complaint said.
The pair had initially been arrested on state charges on Sunday night, which included murder, manslaughter and assault, and held without bail.
But they are now in federal custody and face up to life in prison if they are convicted.
Damian Williams, US Attorney for Southern District of New York, said the case ‘shocked the conscience of the city’ in a press conference on Tuesday.
A third suspect is still being sought. Police have launched a manhunt for De Ventura’s husband, who is believed to be the ‘ring leader’ in the drug operation, officials said.
De Ventura’s attorney claimed she was unaware drugs were being stored in her day care by Brito.
Mayor Eric Adams expressed his sympathy Saturday to the child’s mourning parents, as the case continues to garner national attention
She opened the Bronx day care earlier this year, and on September 6 passed a surprise inspection.
Divino Nino Daycare was registered under the city’s Department of Children and Family Service since it was considered a home-based business.
The day care was registered to care for up to 8 children, between 6 weeks to 12 years old, records show.
Feliz Dominici’s grief-stricken parents Zoila Dominici and Otoniel Feliz said the day care was recommended by Kingsbridge Heights Community Center.
The heartbroken couple, who are parents to four other children, were trying to come to terms with the unexpected and tragic death of their youngest child.
The boy’s grief-stricken mother told CBS News in Spanish: ‘Look at what happened. If I had known, I wouldn’t have taken him.’
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said on Monday that police discovered ‘a kilogram of fentanyl in an area that was used to give the children naps.’
He further explained, the fentanyl was ‘laying underneath a mat where children had been sleeping earlier.’
US Attorney for the Southern District, Damian Williams spoke at Monday’s announcement of the new federal charges
Frank A. Tarentino III (pictured) Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Division covering the State of New York spoke at a press conference on Monday about fentanyl and the babies that were exposed to the deadly chemical at a Bronx day care
According to Kenny, ‘one grain, two grains of fentanyl can take down a grown man so even the residue itself for a small child, would cause the death.’
According to reports, there were no previous complaints made against Divino Nino Daycare.
But, some neighbors had their concerns about what was taking place behind the doors of the apartment. One longtime neighbor said she never saw any children – arriving or leaving- the residence.
‘It was a day care for a year with no children. For one year, she had a day care with no children but people go in. But no babies?,’ she told The New York Post.
She also revealed De Ventura would not allow her own child to stay in the apartment where other children were being cared for.
‘A day care with no children and men coming in and out. Yes, we knew something. We knew something, something was not good happening there.’
‘We all said, ‘Drogas.’ How could you not know?’
She alleged that De Ventura’s day care started getting busier two months ago when she started getting some children, including a baby two months ago, and then two more children a few weeks before the tragedy.
Mayor Eric Adams, meanwhile, expressed his sympathy Saturday to the child’s mourning parents, as the case continues to garner national attention.
