THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) — Police are still searching for the husband of a Bronx day care owner after he fled when the children under his wife’s care overdosed, according to sources.
Sources said 36-year-old Grei Mendez’s husband was seen on video running from Divino Nino day care on Morris Avenue once the four children didn’t wake up and before emergency responders arrived. Mendez, along with her husband’s cousin, 41-year-old Carlisto Acevedo Brito, were arrested Saturday and charged with murder and attempted murder, police said.
Three of the kids were revived with the opioid-reversing antidote Narcan, but 1-year-old Nicholas Dominici could not be saved, authorities said. The deadly drugs were discovered under the nap mats of the toddlers, according to police.
A drug ring was allegedly operating out of the day care, police said. One kilogram of fentanyl was recovered inside along with three kilo presses used to package drugs, according to authorities.
The DEA believes that the day care was pushing millions in wholesale cocaine, heroin and fentanyl. There was a surprise inspection at the day care on Sept. 6, New York City health commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said.
“One of the things my child care inspectors are not trained to do is look to fentanyl, but maybe we need to start,” Vasan said.
Federal charges could be coming for Mendez and Brito. Neither had a criminal history, police said.
The three other children who were hospitalized are now recovering, officials said.