(NEW YORK) — A third person has been arrested in connection with the New York City day care drug operation that resulted in the death of a 1-year-old boy.
Renny Antonio Parra Paredes was taken into custody Saturday and charged in federal court with conspiracy to distribute narcotics. He appeared to be a drug dealer doing business with the suspects at the Bronx day care, according to police sources. He appeared in federal court in Lower Manhattan on Monday and was ordered to be held without bail.
The three arrests in the case stem from the death of 1-year-old Nicholas Dominici, who died on Sept. 15 following exposure to fentanyl at his day care.
Three other children, ranging in age from 8 months to 2 years, were hospitalized and treated with Narcan, police said. An analysis of urine from one of the victims confirmed the presence of fentanyl, officials said.
Investigators found a kilo of fentanyl stored on kids’ play mats at the day care, along with a device to press drugs into bricks for sale, according to court records. In a trap floor under the day care’s play area, investigators found fentanyl, other narcotics and drug paraphernalia, police said.
The first two to be arrested were day care owner Grei Mendez and her tenant, Carlisto Acevedo Brito. They face federal charges of narcotics possession with intent to distribute resulting in death and conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death as well as state charges including murder.
Mendez’s attorney has said she was unaware drugs were being stored in her day care by Brito, her husband’s cousin, to whom she was renting a room for $200 a week.
A search is ongoing for Mendez’s husband, who, according to court records, was seen on video fleeing the day care out of a back alley carrying two trash bags.
New images of Mendez’s husband were released Monday allegedly showing him walk out of the day care with he bags.
Paredes isn’t being charged yet by the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, which has charged Mendez and Brito with several charges including murder, manslaughter and assault.
Federal investigators said a search of Brito’s cell phone records found that he was in constant contact with Paredes allegedly about their drug operation, according to the criminal complaint.
Paredes was making daily trips to the vicinity of the day care in the weeks leading up to the children’s poisoning, according to the complaint.
After he was arrested Saturday, Paredes allegedly lied about his visits to the day care and his whereabouts earlier in the day, the complaint said.
Later that day, investigators searched the apartment he was allegedly staying in with his aunt and found bags filled with drug making materials, the complaint said.
One of the items recovered was a stamp with the same identification that was used on the glassine envelopes found in the drug making material recovered from the day care, federal investigators said.
Attorney information for Parades was not immediately available.
Federal authorities last week promised to hold accountable anyone linked to the day care.
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