Felix Herrera Garcia, who is married to the owner of the Bronx daycare center where a tragic incident involving the death of a 1-year-old occurred due to fentanyl poisoning, entered a guilty plea on Monday for federal offenses.
As we previously reported, as children at the Bronx daycare center began to show symptoms of fentanyl exposure, Garcia,35, was seen leaving the premises through a rear alleyway with two big shopping bags. Among the young victims, four children under the age of four experienced the repercussions of the exposure, with Nicholas Dominci tragically losing his life due to fentanyl poisoning.
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Herra Garcia pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to distribute narcotics leading to death, as well as possession with intent to distribute resulting in death and serious bodily injury. Each of these offenses carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Surveillance footage captured Herrera Garcia quickly leaving the daycare with shopping bags and fleeing through a back alley before the arrival of first responders to assist the affected children. Investigators revealed that Fentanyl had been concealed, in part, in a hidden compartment beneath the daycare’s floor. In a concerning turn of events, Herrera Garcia’s wife, Grei Mendez, removed their own child from the facility upon noticing possible indications of fentanyl exposure.
RELATED: Heartbreaking: 1 Year Old Boy Dies Of Suspected Fentanyl Exposure At A Bronx Daycare
Sources indicate that Mendez failed to report the suspected exposure to authorities and opted not to permit her son to return to the daycare center. Despite this, she continued to operate the facility and accept other children into its care.
