NYPD: Divino Nino Daycare owner, another suspect charged in suspected opioid exposure that killed toddler

Day care owner Grei Mendez De Ventura, 36, and 41-year-old Carlisto Avecedo Brito were arrested on Saturday.

News 12 Staff

Sep 17, 2023, 5:22 PM

Updated 389 days ago

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The owner of Divino Nino Daycare is one of two suspects charged in connection to the suspected opioid exposure that killed a 1-year-old and left a 2-year-old in critical condition Friday in Kingsbridge.
Day care owner Grei Mendez De Ventura, 36, and 41-year-old Carlisto Avecedo Brito were arrested on Saturday. Police say they each face 11 counts including murder, manslaughter, assault, criminal possession and endangering the welfare of a child.
This comes after police responded to a 911 call just before 3 p.m. Friday and found three young children unconscious and unresponsive at the building on 2707 Morris Ave.
Those children included a 2-year-old boy, an 8-month-old girl and 1-year-old Nicholas Dominici. Officials say the children were transferred to Montefiore Medical Center, where they were administered Narcan. Dominici was also pronounced dead.
The NYPD stated in a recent briefing that they found a kilo press in the day care facility and that suspected opioid exposure left Dominici dead and the 2-year-old in critical condition.
News 12 spoke with a resident from the neighborhood who said he is in disbelief about the situation.
"I don’t think the lady had anything to do with this. I know this is her day care, but she wasn't that type of person. She was here every day, she's got kids of her own—this is a crazy situation,” said the resident.