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Bronx day care owner says she had no idea fentanyl was in closet after 1-year-old dies of suspected exposure

A one kilogram package of fentanyl was found in the hallway closet of the Bronx day care center Divino Niño, along with two kilo press devices, a criminal complaint said.

Police tape at a crime scene. (WDIV)

NEW YORK CITY – The owner of the New York City day care center where a 1-year-old boy died due to apparent opioid exposure says she had no idea drugs were in the Bronx facility.

Grei Mendez, 36, and Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41, were charged with murder with “depraved indifference,” manslaughter, assault, endangering the welfare of a child, and criminal possession of a controlled substance. The charges come after four children became sick, and one later died, from apparent fentanyl exposure on Friday at Divino Niño day care.

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An attorney for Mendez, Andres Manual Aranda, said Monday, “My client had no knowledge that [drugs] were there. She’s the one that called the police. She called 911 and 311.”

Officials found a 1-kilogram package containing a “white powdery substance” that was identified as fentanyl inside a hallway closet at the day care, the criminal complaint said.

Read the full report from NBC News.


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