Overview

• Grei Mendez, 37, operated the Divino Niño daycare in the Bronx, where fentanyl was stored under floor tiles in areas where children played and slept.
• The 2023 incident resulted in the death of 22-month-old Nicholas Feliz-Dominici and serious harm to three other children under the age of three, who were saved by emergency Narcan treatment.
• Mendez pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death and was sentenced alongside her husband, Felix Herrera-Garcia, who also received 45 years.
• Prosecutors revealed that Mendez failed to administer Narcan despite having it on-site and attempted to cover up the drug operation when the children fell ill.
• The case has prompted increased scrutiny and stricter regulations on daycare inspections in New York City, particularly in neighborhoods affected by fentanyl trafficking.