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Manhunt for husband of NYC day care

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expands to Dominican Republic as
escape pictures emerge
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The manhunt for the fugitive husband of a Bronx day care 65,209
More On: owner charged in the drug-exposure death of a toddler has
fentanyl expanded to the Dominican Republic, federal law
enforcement sources told The Post Monday.
Feds charge third suspect in
fentanyl death of tot at Bronx
day care center Cops have been searching for the husband of Grei Mendez
De Ventura since 1-year-old Nicholas Feliz Dominici died
Hope for addicts: New opioid from suspected fentanyl poisoning at her Divino Niño
treatment on Staten Island Hugh Jackman's estranged wife
Daycare — with the Regional Fugitive Task Force now breaks her silence over surprise split
program a lifesaver
following up leads inside the couple’s native country.
As NYC reels from fentanyl day 44,840
care tragedy, child care “We’re all working together to find him — nationally and over
overdoses are more common in the Dominican Republic,” the source said.
than we think
Mendez, 36, and accused cohort Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41,
Day care owner where tot died her husband’s cousin, were charged with murder, assault
after fentanyl exposure duped
ex-husband to gain entry to US: and child endangerment on Sept. 16, one day after Nicholas
family and three other children were found critically ill at the child
care facility — described by authorities as a front for a drug- Biden fumbles acronym during Pacific
operation . Islands forum speech: 'Doesn’t matter
what we call it'
Mendez’s on-the-run husband was described by police sources as “the main player” in the alleged drug-
operation at the basement day care center. 36,910

Authorities have not identified the fugitive by name.

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Grei Mendez, 36, is charged with murder and child endangerment in the drug-exposure death of 1-year-old Nicholas
Dominici on Sept. 15. Mendez ran the Divino Niño Daycare in the Bronx where the boy was enrolled. See All Columnists

Meanwhile, Mendez’s attorney claimed that cops have the wrong person in custody.

“She’s paying for somebody else’s crime, basically,” lawyer Andres Manuel Aranda told Gothamist .
Page Six Style
Kristin Davis opens
“You know, this lady doesn’t fit the profile of a drug dealer,” Aranda said. “She had $100 in the bank, from up on her self-
what I understand. She was keeping down two jobs, not necessarily someone who’s out there dealing cceptance journey,
says she ‘finally’
with a kilo weight.” loves her body

He said Mendez’s own child was enrolled at the day care and would’ve been in harm’s way as well had he Hailey Bieber goes
pantsless for dinner
not been taken on a trip by a relative that day. date with friends in
Paris
“She’s distraught about what happened with the children, especially Nico,” Aranda said. “She feels that
she’s being held unjustly.” Celebrities’ favorite
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The unidentified husband of Divino Niño Daycare owner Grei Mendez left the
daycare through a rear exit.
Video

Academy Award winner Matthew A.

Cherry talks new 'Hair Love’ series

The suspect fled the scene through overgrown grass and bushes.

Federal and local law enforcement sources disputed that claim, however, saying Monday that Mendez’s 2-
ear-old son was himself exposed to drugs last year and treated without police being summoned. The boy
had allegedly been kept away from the day care center after that incident, the sources said.

“She purposely kept her son away from the center after almost losing him after he was exposed to drugs,”
a source alleged.

Aranda didn’t immediately return a request for comment Monday.

Prosecutors said Mendez made several calls, including two to her husband, before calling 911 after she
found the toddlers unconscious around 3:30 p.m. Sept. 15.

The Divino Niño Daycare in the Bronx where little Nicholas Dominici died was a front for a drug operation, authorities say.
Cops arrested owner Grei Mendez and an accomplice, and are searching as far as the Dominican Republic for her
husband.
Christopher Sadowski

The three other sickened kids — a pair of 2-year-old boys and the 8-month-old sister of one of them
— were saved with the overdose-reversal drug Narcan, Mayor Eric Adams said last week, but Nicholas
was pronounced dead.

Mendez — who along with Brito also faces federal drug charges — is suspected of deleting more than
21,000 messages with her husband dating to 2021 before turning her phone over to cops, according to
court documents.

Authorities said they uncovered a kilo of fentanyl sitting on mats the children slept on, according to court
papers. They also seized several “kilo presses,” which are usually used to combine the drug with cocaine
or heroin.

1-year-old Nicholas Feliz Dominici died from suspected fentanyl poisoning

at the Divino Niño Daycare.
Yeissy Dominici/Facebook

The trap door inside the daycare that contained fentanyl, other narcotics and drug paraphernalia.
DCPI

Police said the Divino Niño Daycare in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx was a front for a drug operation. On Sept. 15,
four toddlers at the child care facility fell unconscious from alleged exposure to fentanyl, with one of them dying.
Brigitte Stelzer

Last week, police said they found an additional cache of drugs hidden under a trap door at the
Kingsbridge building.

183 What do you think? Post a comment.

Mendez’s ex-husband’s family also told The Post over the weekend that she duped him into a sham
marriage to get into the US from the Dominican Republic.

Federal and Bronx prosecutors said they’re confident they’ll eventually catch up with her new husband.

“We’re going to get him,” Assistant US Attorney Damian Williams said last week. “Look out for more on
that soon.”

Additional reporting by Ben Kochman

Filed under child abuse dominican republic drug overdoses fentanyl manhunts
murders the bronx 9/25/23

Read Next Migrants forced to sleep on floor at NYC's Roosevelt Hotel...

Conversation 183 Comments 275 Viewing

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My Display Name Is Really Obscure

17 hours ago
Funny that no one thought to put out an APB to the airports to block this guy's exit from the
ountry. I mean, even on a flight you don't need to have a passport for, you have to show ID,
you, and go through a check of some sort? I wonder when, exactly, he left the country -- if
did. Where...
See more
Reply 92 Share

Armchair Moses
11 hours ago
Yes indeed, who is running our city look no further. Class of clowns.
Reply 34 Share
1 reply

Love Trump
9 hours ago
No ID required if you come in without one....Illegals can travel at will, for free and
herever they want to go. It's better to get the smuggled kiddies close to Rehoboth Beach
way.
Reply 16 Share
Show 3 more replies

Christopher Fabian
17 hours ago
Wish they would expand their investigation regarding car thefts into the DR. Too many washed
Mustangs and Dodge Chargers out there these days.
Reply 64 Share

Love Trump
9 hours ago
Love it....I knew I was not the only person in the world that noticed all the THUGS seems
o prefer Dodge Chargers ....well and Challengers! They are all out of Control, but Police
pull them over no matter what they do...because only some very few LIVES
and the rest of us are out of lu...
See more
Reply 22 Share

Jake Perry
13 hours ago
Yeah, I counted 3 the last time I was there.
Reply 5 Share
2 replies

beyond ai
14 hours ago
She kept her own kid out of the daycare after he o'd but it was ok for any other kids to be there
round all that. She's very very low. Or normal depending on your point of view. She'll get 25
1/3 off.
Reply 38 Share
1 reply

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