The heartbroken mother of 1-year-old Nicholas Feliz Dominici, who died of a suspected opioid overdose at a Bronx daycare used as a drug center, said her son had only started at the center the week before, as gruesome details were revealed about the drugs which are scattered at the scene.
Zoila Dominici and Otoniel Feliz’s 1-year-old son, Nicholas, was still adjusting to day care when he and three other young children became ill from fentanyl found at the facility on Friday, according to the grieving mother.
“We spoke to the people in charge … They recommended the place and it seems to follow all the rules. We are on the waiting list for our son to qualify,” his mother told CBS New York in Spanish.
Nicholas, who will celebrate his 2nd birthday in November, is “very smart.”
“He would repeat everything you said to him. He had so much love. Everyone who knew him appreciated him, all our neighbors,” Dominici said.
The owner of Divino Niño Daycare, Grei Mendez De Ventura, 36, and her alleged accomplice, Caristo Acevedo Brito, 41, who lived in the basement along with the drug-using daycare business, were arrested on Saturday.
Nicholas Feliz Dominici died after possible exposure to fentanyl at a Bronx daycare. Yeissy Dominici/Facebook
The couple is charged with murder, assault and child endangerment in the suspected fentanyl exposure death of 1-year-old Nicholas.
Police have launched a manhunt for Ventura’s husband, who lives with her and is also wanted in the boy’s death, sources said.
Zoila Dominici and Otoniel Feliz’s 1-year-old son Nicholas had only started daycare about a week before the incident.CBS NY
Nicholas, who is the youngest of five children, and his family live within walking distance of the in-home daycare, which was recommended to the family by the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center.
The daycare, registered under the city’s Department of Children and Family Services, only opened last January but passed a surprise inspection about a week earlier.
“Apparently, the place passed all inspections. “Supposedly the apartment is only for day care, but rumor has it, from what we heard, they also rent a room,” Feliz said.
Grei Mendez De Ventura, 36, owner of Divino Nino Daycare, was taken from the 52nd Precinct in handcuffs.
Suspect Caristo Acevedo Brito’s friend lives next door to an underground daycare.
Three other children – two 2-year-old boys and an 8-month-old sister of one of them – remain hospitalized after being exposed to the fatal drug while at the facility, according to police.
The children were apparently exposed when the fentanyl was cut up at the daycare and some of it floated into the air, allowing them to inhale it, law enforcement sources said.
Nicholas is the youngest of five children. Zoila Dominici/Instagram
Police responded to a 911 call from the Kingsbridge child care center shortly after 3:30 p.m. Friday and found three of the children unresponsive. Some children were given Narcan to try to save them.
Nicholas was rushed to Montefiore Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Police found three kilopresses inside the care center when they went to investigate on Friday. Christopher Sadowski
When authorities went to the care center Friday to investigate, they found three kilopresses, used to package large amounts of drugs, along with one kilo of fentanyl, prosecutors revealed in a new filing.
A criminal investigation into the care center is ongoing. Christopher Sadowski
“Look what happened. If I had known, I would not have taken him,” said the boy’s mother.
His grieving father added: “The hardest thing for me was coming home and opening the door and not seeing Nicholas saying, ‘Dad, Dad.’ It’s too hard. We can not. Because of the irresponsibility of people who don’t know, they don’t know that playing with drugs and leaving them where children can reach them is too dangerous.”
Nicholas’ grieving mother said if she had known, she wouldn’t have taken him to day care. CBS NY
The medical examiner’s office said the exact cause of Nicholas’ death has not yet been determined.
A criminal investigation into the care center is ongoing.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
