2 men plead guilty to fentanyl poisoning of kids at Bronx daycare that left 1 dead: DA
BRONX - Two men have pleaded guilty to charges related to the fentanyl poisoning of four children, one of whom died, at a Bronx daycare center last year.
According to authorities, Felix Herrera Garcia, 35, and Renny Antonio Parra Paredes, 38, both of the Bronx, admitted their roles in a drug conspiracy that resulted in the fentanyl poisoning of four children under the age of three at the Divino Nino Day Care Center on September 15, 2023.
The poisoning led to the death of 22-month-old Nicholas Dominici, while three other children suffered serious injuries.
When police investigated the facility afterward, they found bags of fentanyl hidden beneath a trap door in the children's play area.
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NYPD discovers 'trap door' with fentanyl at site of Bronx daycare where 1-year-old died
Photos shared by police show bags full of powder inside the "trap floor," a few steps away from a shelf of children’s toys.
Herrera Garcia's trial was supposed to begin Monday, but he instead decided to plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death and serious bodily injury, possession with intent to distribute narcotics resulting in death, and possession with intent to distribute narcotics resulting in serious bodily injury. Each charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison, with the potential for life imprisonment.
Two weeks prior, Parra Paredes also pled guilty to conspiring to distribute narcotics and acknowledged that his actions caused death and serious bodily injury. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and up to life in prison.
Authorities say that from October 2022 to September 2023, the pair had hidden large quantities of fentanyl including more than 10 kilograms of narcotics in secret compartments beneath the daycare's playroom floor. Despite the presence of young children, the daycare served as a front for their illegal activities.
"In September 2023, four children at a Bronx daycare were poisoned by fentanyl. The children were seriously injured, and one baby died," said Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. "This happened because, as they admitted in court, Felix Herrera Garcia and Renny Antonio Parra Paredes operated an illegal fentanyl operation out of the center, where they processed the deadly drugs for sale. We said at the time that this case shocks the conscience of the City, and now Herrera Garcia and Parra Paredes have been brought to justice for this heinous crime."