Kingsbridge Heights daycare operator and husband sentenced to 25 years to life in toddler fentanyl death

More than two years after a toddler died from fentanyl poisoning inside a Kingsbridge Heights home day care, the facility’s operator, Grei Mendez, and her husband were sentenced March 4, to 25 years to life in prison.

Bronx Supreme Court Justice Margaret Clancy imposed the sentence on Mendez, 38, and Felix Herrera Garcia, 37, in connection with the Sept. 15, 2023, death of 22-month-old Nicholas Dominici at the El Divino Niño Daycare at 2207 Morris Ave.

Several other children also suffered fentanyl exposure at the day care but survived.

Investigators discovered the childcare facility was used as a front for processing and storing large quantities of fentanyl, heroin and other illicit drugs under the floor where toddlers played and slept.

A jury found both defendants guilty of second-degree murder in November 2025. Mendez was also convicted of first-degree assault, while Herrera Garcia was convicted of second-degree assault in connection with the poisoning of three other children.

Mendez and Herrera Garcia are already serving 45-year federal prison sentences after being convicted of narcotics trafficking resulting in Dominici’s death. The state sentence imposed Monday will run concurrently with the federal term.

“A beautiful little boy died and three children aged eight months to two years became seriously ill from fentanyl poisoning,” Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said. “These babies were shields to protect a narcotics operation.”

The daycare opened its doors in January 2023, serving children between 6 weeks and 12 years old, roughly nine months before the fatal incident that killed Dominici. On that September day, emergency medical technicians entered the apartment and administered naloxone, a medication designed to reverse opioid overdose symptoms,  to several children also exposed to narcotics. A 2-year-old boy, Abel Garcia, suffered respiratory arrest, but survived after being revived at a hospital. Abel’s 8-month-old sister, Kiara Garcia, and another 2-year-old child, Jaziel Lino, were also hospitalized with symptoms of acute opioid intoxication.

Mendez was taken into police custody the following day, Sept. 16, along with her husband’s cousin, 41-year-old Carlisto Acevedo Brita, who had been renting a room in the daycare. A third person, Renny Antonio Parra Paredes was arrested on Sept. 23.

Herrera Garcia, however, evaded authorities for more than a week before being arrested in Sinaloa, Mexico, on Sept. 26 by agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Mexican authorities.

Investigators determined that large quantities of fentanyl had been processed inside the Morris Ave. apartment, according to the Bronx District Attorney’s Office. Authorities said the same kitchen equipment used in the operation was also used by Mendez to prepare meals for the children.

A kilogram of fentanyl was later discovered in a closet, while an additional 12 kilograms of fentanyl, heroin and other narcotics were hidden beneath a trap door in the playroom floor. Investigators also recovered kilo presses — devices used to compress powdered substances — along with drug packaging equipment inside the apartment.

Evidence presented in court showed Mendez called Herrera Garcia before calling 911 when the children became sick.  Surveillance video showed Herrera Garcia fleeing the building through a rear alley carrying several plastic bags believed to contain drugs and paraphernalia before police and emergency responders arrived.

Just nine days before the poisoning, the day care passed an unannounced inspection by the Office of Children and Family Services, The Press previously reported. Inspection records indicated the facility had no violations and was compliant with rules requiring toxic or dangerous substances to be kept out of children’s reach — findings that stood in stark contrast to what investigators later discovered.

New York City Council member Pierina Sanchez said the outcome of the case underscores the need for stronger safeguards for children in day care settings. Sanchez worked with Nicholas’ parents, Otoniel Feliz Samboy and Zoila Dominici, as they sought accountability following their son’s death.

“Nicholas’ memory will continue to guide our work to fight for safer childcare, stronger oversight, and the dignity and protection every child and family deserves,” Sanchez said. “And while no sentence will bring him back, I know his family felt some measure of relief today.”

In the years since the toddler’s death, Sanchez and other leaders have pushed for measures to ensure his legacy results in stronger protections.

“We renamed the street where Nicholas lived in his honor so that his life — and the responsibility we carry to protect children — are never forgotten,” she said.

In August 2025, the City Council passed the Nicholas Dominici Childcare Safety Act, a legislative package introduced by Sanchez to strengthen oversight and transparency in childcare inspections. It required the city to launch an annual outreach campaign informing parents of their rights when enrolling children in childcare programs and mandated yearly reports detailing the training required for childcare inspectors.

The act also called on the state to pass legislation establishing training for childcare inspectors and providers on controlled substances and overdose prevention.