The owner of El Divino Nino daycare in the Bronx, where a 1-year-old boy died from suspected fentanyl exposure, has been charged with federal drug offenses, Your Content has learned.
Grei Mendez, 36, and her alleged accomplice, Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41, are facing charges of narcotics possession with intent to distribute resulting in death, and conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death. Both are also facing murder and attempted murder charges in Bronx Criminal Court.
As Your Content readers know, The tragic incident occurred at the El Divino Nino daycare in the Bronx, raising concerns about the safety and oversight of childcare facilities. Federal prosecutors have taken up the case, adding to the charges that Mendez and Brito already face at the state level. A third suspect, believed to be Mendez’s husband, remains at large, intensifying the manhunt for him.
Mendez and Brito had been operating the daycare at the time of the 1-year-old boy’s death. Federal prosecutors have escalated the charges against them to include possession and distribution of narcotics resulting in death. The severe charges come as part of a broader crackdown on drug-related offenses, particularly involving fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine.
The charges in Bronx Criminal Court of murder and attempted murder are still pending, and it is unclear how the federal charges will impact those cases. Nonetheless, the additional federal charges bring the possibility of significant jail time, should Mendez and Brito be convicted.
The charges against Mendez and Brito mark a significant development in a case that has already horrified the community and prompted calls for stricter regulation of daycare facilities. As authorities continue to search for the third suspect, the case raises many unanswered questions, including the source of the fentanyl and the oversight of childcare facilities. Further investigation is ongoing, and the implications of this case may influence childcare regulations and drug enforcement policies in the future.