Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced that a jury has found Grei Mendez and Felix Herrera Garcia guilty of second-degree murder and assault. The charges stem from the fentanyl poisoning death of 22-month-old Nicholas Domenici and non-fatal exposures that put other children at risk at El Divino Nino daycare, according to a statement from the DA’s office.
Mendez and Garcia, the operators of the daycare, were found to have been running an illegal narcotics operation. The DA’s office stated that they stored fentanyl beneath the daycare where children attended. The statement said the situation demonstrated a depth of "depraved indifference." The case relates to events that occurred on September 15, 2023.
"Nothing we can do will bring back Nicholas. His death has torn a hole in the hearts of his mother, father and siblings, and saddened the entire Bronx community," DA Clark said, noting the impact of the case on the Domenici family and the wider community, the DA’s office reported.
The trial of Mendez and Garcia concluded with guilty verdicts, bringing the case to a close. The sentencing addresses the outcomes of the events for the Bronx community and those affected.
