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