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Bronx


HUSBAND WHO FLED BRONX DAY CARE AFTER INFANT'S FENTANYL DEATH CAUGHT IN MEXICO:
SOURCES

BY JONATHAN DIENST AND MYLES MILLER • PUBLISHED 4 HOURS AGO • UPDATED 4 HOURS
AGO


NBC Universal, Inc.

Law enforcement sources say a third person has been arrested in the death of
1-year-old boy at a day care in the Bronx.


WHAT TO KNOW

 * The woman who operated a Bronx day care center where a 1-year-old child died
   of an opioid overdose deleted more than 21,000 encrypted messages to her
   husband after infant's death, according to court documents
 * Grei Mendez and Carlisto Acevedo Brito, who rented a room inside the
   Kingsbridge apartment where the day care was operated, were hit with federal
   charges; Another man, suspected drug dealer Renny Paredes, was charged days
   later, before Mendez's husband was captured in Mexico
 * The charges come after authorities discovered four young children – ranging
   in age from 8 months to 2 years old – showing signs of suspected opioid
   overdose after spending time at the Bronx day care center, Divino Niño.

The husband of a Bronx day care owner was caught by authorities in Mexico,
according to multiple law enforcement sources, almost two weeks removed from
being seen on security camera fleeing the scene where a 1-year-old suffered a
deadly fentanyl overdose.

Three sources told NBC New York the man was arrested by Mexican police and Drug
Enforcement Administration agent while on a bus heading to the state of Sinaloa.
U.S. Marshals assisted in the arrest.

The husband, who was not immediately identified but was married to day care
owner Grei Mendez, traveled from New York to Texas and authorities started
tracking him from the border, according to a federal law enforcement official
with direct knowledge of the investigation.

> Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC
> New York newsletters.

The arrest comes just a day after a third person, a suspected drug dealer, was
apprehended in connection with the death of 1-year-old Nicholas Dominici.

Renny Paredes worked in concert and supplied the materials and drugs to those
involved in the trafficking at the Kingsbridge building, senior law enforcement
officials told NBC New York. Paredes, 38, was charged with one count of
conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death.

"I promised last week that we would continue to work to bring those involved in
the child poisonings at Divino Niño daycare to justice. Since then, this Office
and our law enforcement partners have worked around the clock to identify and
apprehend additional individuals who are responsible," said U.S. Attorney for
the Southern District of New York Damian Williams. "Today’s arrest is one more
step toward obtaining justice for the child-victims of this heinous offense and
their families."

According to the criminal complaint, Paredes conspired with Mendez and Carlisto
Acevedo Brito, among others, to distribute fentanyl at places including the day
care, where they kept large amounts of the narcotics. If convicted, Paredes
faces a minimum of 20 years behind bars, and could serve life in prison.

Last week, a search warrant led police detectives to a new discovery inside the
day care center: a floor trap door of drugs.

NYPD detectives found the trap door beneath the floor where kids slept,
according to police. Underneath a wooden trap door several feet wide in each
direction, police shared photos of the fentanyl, other narcotics and
paraphernalia found inside. Law enforcement also found materials used to package
narcotics, such as glassine envelopes used for retail distribution of drugs,
which had been stamped in red with the words "RED DAWN."

Those same stamped envelopes were found at Paredes' apartment as well, according
to the criminal complaint.

As police searched Paredes' Bronx apartment, they allegedly found shopping bags
with tools and instruments used to prepare and distribute narcotics — items such
as strainers, tape, a grinder, plastic bags and digital scales. There were also
two clear Ziplock bags filled with a "greyish powder and rectangular,
brick-shaped package" both of which seemed to contain drugs, the complaint
stated.

"We have evidence to show that it was more than just a day care center. It's
clear that there was a drug operation that was happening there," Bronx District
Attorney Darcel Clark said.

A grand jury in the Bronx indicted Mendez and Brito on murder charges. They
rented a room inside the building where the day care was operated.

See more

> SEE IT: @NYPDDetectives found a trap door beneath the floor where kids slept
> at a Bronx daycare that was a front for a drug den pic.twitter.com/o0UztN6duE
> 
> — Myles Miller (@MylesMill) September 21, 2023

"We're going to have a date coming up within the next week or so where we'll
unseal the indictment, and then I'll be able to talk to all the particulars
about what happened in the particular case. So the investigation continues, even
the recovery of evidence," Clark continued.

Mendez, 33, and Brito, 41, remain at the Metropolitan Detention Center in
Brooklyn after being charged last week on federal narcotics possession charges.

The hidden treasure trove of illicit drugs and accompanying contraband were
found in addition to the one kilogram of fentanyl recovered from inside a closet
next to stacked mats that children napped on, law enforcement officials have
said.

The fentanyl is believed to have sickened four children, including Dominici, who
died the afternoon of Sept. 15. Three others — ranging in age from 8 months to 2
years old — were hospitalized.

The approximately one kilogram of fentanyl, which was recovered inside a taped
package that contained several thousand dollars worth of the deadly drug, was
found in a closet next to stacked mats that children napped on, law enforcement
said.

Mendez has maintained she had no knowledge of the presence of the highly-potent
opioid, which sickened three other young children, including an 8-month-old girl
who tested positive for fentanyl use.

Bronx Sep 18


‘ENOUGH TO KILL AN ADULT': KILOGRAM OF FENTANYL FOUND IN NYC DAY CARE WHERE BABY
DIED

fentanyl Sep 8


AS MORE CHILDREN DIE FROM FENTANYL, SOME PROSECUTORS ARE CHARGING THEIR PARENTS
WITH MURDER

Along with the fentanyl, police said they also found two press devices used to
combine the drug with other narcotics. Both the drugs and one of the devices
were inside the hallway closet connected to an apartment Brito was said to be
staying in. A second press was located inside the adjoining room occupied by
Brito, according to a criminal complaint.

Mendez told police that she thoroughly cleaned the day care, Divino Niño, six
days a week and that the kilo press found at the scene could have been left
there by a prior tenant, the court documents state. She also said there had been
no other visitors to the day care on Friday — even though her husband was seen
on surveillance footage carrying bags out of the day care just minutes before
first responders arrived, as well as earlier in the day, the federal complaint
stated.

Prosecutors said that Mendez made three phone calls before dialing 911,
including one to another day care employee and two to her husband, as they
allegedly "tried to cover up" what happened. Then after police were called,
Mendez allegedly made several more phone calls to her husband. Her husband came
to the apartment, stayed for about two minutes, then left out a back alleyway
carrying two full shopping bags, court documents state — all while the children
were unresponsive and waiting on medical care.

The day care facility opened in Jan. 2023. It passed both of its inspections,
authorities said, including a surprise visit made by inspectors earlier this
month.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams held an emotional news conference after the death
of a baby at a day care in the Bronx.

Associated Press reporter Jake Offenhartz contributed to this report.



Read More
Copyright NBC New York

THIS ARTICLE TAGGED UNDER:

Bronxfentanyl



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