Grei Mendez, a former owner of a day care center in the Bronx, has been handed a 45-year prison sentence. This comes after Mendez pleaded guilty last year to three charges connected to drug possession and distribution within the premises of a child care facility.
In September 2023, authorities conducted a raid on the Davino Nino day care center in Kingsbridge following the discovery of several young children who were found unconscious.
According to the police, three children managed to survive, while unfortunately, one did not.
Tragically, Nicholas Feliz Dominici, a one-year-old, lost his life due to fentanyl exposure.
Zoila Dominici, the mother of the victim, expressed her sentiments by stating, “I’ll wait for [Mendez] to pay. I’d like to say that I hope [Nicholas is] coming back, but he’s not going to return.”
“We want to ensure that no other child is exposed to risks in a place where they are supposed to be taken care of,” expressed Ontoniel Feliz, the father of the victim.
The family of Mendez chose not to provide any comments outside of the courthouse.
Mendez personally spoke to the court, expressing her apologies to the families of the children.
Dominici expressed that she does not forgive Mendez.
Dominici refused to entertain the idea of forgiveness for her actions. He firmly stated that Nicholas would not be returning with an apology.
Judge Jed Rakoff expressed his belief that sentencing Mendez to 45 years is equivalent to imposing a near-maximum or life sentence.
In the fall of last year, Mendez’s husband, Felix Herrera Garcia, received a 45-year prison sentence from the same judge for involvement in drug trafficking activities linked to the day care.