In a tragic case that has gripped New York City, a woman who ran a daycare center where a young child died after consuming fentanyl has been given a substantial prison sentence. The owner, Grei Mendez, 37, was sentenced to 45 years behind bars after admitting guilt to federal drug charges.
The courtroom was filled with emotional scenes as Mendez, visibly upset, lowered her head onto her arms when Judge Jed S. Rakoff delivered the sentence. The family of Nicholas Feliz-Dominici, the 22-month-old boy who passed away in September 2023, was present, and their cries echoed in the room. This sentence mirrors the one previously given to her husband, Felix Herrera-Garcia, who also admitted guilt to drug charges and accepted responsibility for causing harm leading to the young boy’s death.
Both Mendez and her husband faced significant penalties, with a mandatory minimum of 20 years and a potential life sentence due to the severity of their crimes. Mendez’s plea included her admitting to conspiracy and distribution of narcotics that resulted in a fatality.
During her apologetic statement before sentencing, Mendez expressed remorse to the families whose children attended her daycare, which operated from a Bronx apartment also used as a drug den. With the help of an interpreter, she claimed the tragic event was accidental and hoped for eventual forgiveness.
On September 15, 2023, the poison incident occurred, leading to the demise of Feliz-Dominici. Despite medical intervention where Narcan was administered, only three other children exposed to the drug survived. Investigating officers discovered fentanyl stored on playmats alongside other drug paraphernalia and found additional quantities hidden in play areas.
The courtroom heard from Feliz-Dominici’s parents during the sentencing. His mother declared her inability to forgive Mendez, while the father spoke poignantly about their enduring grief, describing it as a life devoid of vitality.
Judge Rakoff reflected on personal emotions from his past, noting his own experiences with loss but emphasized the importance of the legal system’s ability to keep emotions in check while meting out justice. He observed that Mendez had prioritized her family’s illicit activities over the safety and trust of the children in her care.
Mendez’s defense included accounts of her own traumatic childhood, but prosecutors argued for a lengthy sentence. They cited her negligent failure to act when warning signs of illness appeared amongst the children, and her subsequent deceit in dealing with authorities to divert responsibility from herself and her husband.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky remarked on the egregious nature of Mendez’s actions in a public statement, highlighting how infants as young as eight months were unknowingly placed in severe danger, all due to the reckless concealment of narcotics beneath them.
