BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) — A federal strike force working with the NYPD discovered a “trap door” in the floor of a Bronx day care where a 1-year-old boy died last week, and three other small children were hospitalized for fentanyl exposure.
A law enforcement source told NewsNation affiliate WPIX the team of DEA agents and NYPD detectives executed new search warrants Wednesday night at Divino Nino Day Care on Morris Avenue, discovering the trap doors and at least 2 kilos of drugs under the floor.
“They had traps underneath the floor where the babies slept,” the source told WPIX.
Nicolas Feliz Dominici, who was three months shy of his second birthday, was pronounced dead at Montefiore Medical Center on Friday, soon after three of the four babies did not wake up after their nap time.
Earlier this week, the United States attorney of the southern district accused Grei Mendez, the day care’s owner, and her husband’s cousin, Carlisto Acevedo Brito, of conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death. They both also face one other criminal count that could result in up to life in prison, if they are convicted.
On Friday, Mendez called her husband, who is being sought by police, two times before she dialed 911, according to a federal complaint. The court documents also indicated she deleted more than 21,000 text messages from an encrypted phone app as police moved in.