Cousins! A one-year-old has been confirmed as deceased and three additional children are currently hospitalized after local officials discovered a drug equipment machine within a Bronx-based daycare!
According to ABC News, Daycare owner and neighbor Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41, and Grei Mendez were arrested on Saturday, September 16th on charges of murder, manslaughter, assault, and additional drug charges.
Reports read that first responders were contacted on Friday afternoon following an alert of cardiac arrest at Divino Nino Daycare on 2707 Morris Ave in Kingsbridge.
The daycare opened earlier this year in January and passed a surprise visit by city inspectors last week where no violations were determined.
An active investigation is currently underway as officials continue to gather evidence surrounding the tragic incident.
“We don’t know exactly what happened to those babies,” says NYPD Police Commissioner Edward Caban.
Investigators state that drug equipment materials were discovered on the premises such as a Kilo press. “This is an item that is commonly used by drug dealers when packaging large quantities of drugs,” said NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny,
Health Commissioner Dr Ashwin has come forward in detailing that the young children somehow came in contact “with a powerful substance, which can, through either inhalation, ingestion, or in touching of the skin, intoxicate the recipient. We don’t know what happened in this case.”
Police state that after the children had eaten and had nap time, things turned for the worst as a 1 year old boy was pronounced dead at Montefiore hospital.
A two-year-old boy is currently in critical condition and an eight-month-old girl alongside another two-year-old boy were rushed to the hospital.
The children, who stayed at the daycare, ate something at around 1 p.m. and took a nap. When workers went to wake them up at 2:30 p.m., three were unconscious; reports ABC
Sources state that the Medical Examiner plans to conduct an autopsy to determine 1-year-old Nicholas Domini’s cause of death. Doctors are going to obtain urine and blood samples from the surviving victims to confirm which drugs they were exposed to.
Authorities state that Detectives indicated the children seem to have been exposed to the unknown opioids over an extended period.
Nicholas’ father Otoniel Feliz says that the young child had been enrolled in the daycare only a week ago.
“My wife was on her way to the daycare. She was going to pick him up early. Shortly before she arrives, she receives the call and also sees the ambulance.”
Officials state that after the children were taken out of the daycare, the fire department tested the air for environmental hazards and there was no evidence of carbon monoxide.
According to police, a two-year boy went home around 12:15 p.m. and was later found by his mother to be “acting lethargic and unresponsive.”
The boy’s mother rushed him to the hospital, and he was given the opioid-reversal medication Narcan which thankfully saved his life.
Investigators suspected opioid exposure and executed a search warrant to further search the rooms, cabinets, and other spaces of the daycare.
Law enforcement administrators depicted the daycare as conducted inside a converted apartment. It hasn’t been determined if anyone lives there at this time.
Our prayers go out to the families affected by this tragic incident.
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