The New York Police have arrested the owner of a daycare center in the Bronx neighborhood and a man, who lived in the same building, for the death of a baby and the hospitalization of three others after the children consumed fentanyl. accidental.
According to the Police, the children could have accessed this opiate - more powerful than morphine or heroin - when they were taking a nap. Forensics have found traces of fentanyl in the beds where the babies were sleeping.
The events occurred last Friday shortly before 3 p.m. when emergency services received a call from this small daycare center in the Bronx with only eight children. Upon arrival, authorities found three of the four children in a lethargic state with obvious signs of fentanyl poisoning and took them to the hospital. On the other hand, the mother of the fourth child took him to the emergency room a little earlier, after going to personally pick him up from the daycare. Fortunately, this last one and two other babies responded to Narcan, the antidote given in cases of overdose, but there was nothing they could do to save the life of the poisoned fourth baby. The creatures ranged in age from 8 months to two years.
On Friday afternoon, after discovering that the three children in her care were not waking up from their naps, she made three calls, including two to her husband, before dialing 911, prosecutors said. Minutes after those calls, her husband was seen entering the Bronx Apartment, then carrying at least two full shopping bags out of the building through a back alley. Emergency personnel arrived shortly after and found the children showing signs of opioid poisoning. The phone calls, along with the apparent deletion of thousands of text messages between Mendez and her husband, suggested an effort to cover up the narcotics operation inside the apartment, according to Brandon.
The police arrested Grei Méndez, owner of the daycare, and her neighbor, Carlisto Acevedo Brito, who are accused of murder, involuntary manslaughter, serious injuries and possession of narcotics.
The truth is that, during the search, the New York Police found up to a kilo of fentanyl hidden in a closet between the mats that children use to take a nap. They also found a press to make pills and another to package the drugs.
Authorities have reported that they are currently searching for a third suspect, Méndez's husband and Brito's cousin, who fled shortly after learning what happened.
The X (formerly Twitter) account of the New York City Police Department warns of the danger of this substance and that a minimal amount—the size of a penny—can kill an adult.
Fentanyl is an opioid much more powerful than morphine or heroin, and it is causing one of the most serious health crises in recent United States history. Walking through some neighborhoods in big cities is like finding a legion of dying people, lying on the ground or crawling.
