A Bronx day care operator was sentenced to 45 years in prison on Monday for her role in a fentanyl trafficking operation that led to the death of a 1-year-old boy and the poisoning of three other children.

Grei Mendez, 37, ran Divino Niño Daycare out of a small apartment where, unbeknownst to parents, she and others were storing and distributing fentanyl. In September 2023, four children in her care suffered fentanyl poisoning, including 1-year-old Nicholas Dominici, who died.

Prosecutors described the day care as a front for a large-scale drug packaging and distribution operation, run by Mendez, her husband, and other accomplices—all of whom pleaded guilty.

“Not only was Mendez deeply involved in drug trafficking, she is the individual who bears primary responsibility for involving babies in the conspiracy’s activities,” prosecutors argued in court. “Simply put, without Mendez, this would have been just another drug conspiracy moving large quantities of illegal narcotics.”

On the morning of September 15, 2023, four children, including Nicholas, were dropped off at the day care in good health. After a morning of activities, Mendez fed them lunch and put three down for a nap.

By 1:50 p.m., Mendez told staff at the Kingsbridge Heights Community Center—an organization that had referred families to her day care—that Nicholas was breathing abnormally but assured them everything was fine.

An hour later, both Nicholas and another child were found unresponsive.

Rather than immediately calling emergency services, Mendez first contacted the community center, then her husband. Only after speaking with them did she dial 911.

Surveillance footage later showed Mendez’s husband rushing into the building before emergency personnel arrived. He was seen leaving out the back door carrying two heavy bags—believed to contain evidence of the drug operation.

Investigators later discovered fentanyl stashed beneath a trapdoor hidden under a colorful play mat inside the day care.

The case shocked New York City and underscored the dangers of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid fueling an ongoing drug epidemic. Mendez’s sentencing marks the end of a harrowing case but serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of the illicit drug trade.