Man sentenced to prison for child's fentanyl-related death at Bronx day care
NEW YORK — A man was sentenced to decades behind bars Wednesday for the fentanyl-related death of a 1-year-old boy at a Bronx day care last year.
Prosecutors say Felix Herrera-Garcia, 35, had a full-scale drug packaging fentanyl mill inside the same apartment unit where his wife was operating a day care. He pleaded guilty to trafficking the drugs.
Federal prosecutors asked the judge for a life sentence, but he was ultimately sentenced to 45 years behind bars.
Fentanyl found hidden at Bronx day care after 1-year-old's overdose death
It was one year ago when Herrera-Garcia was seen fleeing the back alley of the day care with several bags after four children were exposed to fentanyl and overdosed inside. One of those children, 1-year-old Nicholas Dominici, died.
Herrera-Garcia was arrested almost two weeks later when authorities found him in Mexico.
Federal prosecutors said in court Herrera-Garcia was using the day care space for drug trafficking, where the drugs were "hidden under the babies." After the overdoses, police say they found three kilo presses and more than 2 pounds of fentanyl at the day care. Officers also discovered a trap door with a secret compartment that contained more than 5 kilograms of fentanyl and other drugs.
The family of Nicholas Dominici were seen leaving court Wednesday and did not want to speak on camera. They gave victim impact statements in court, saying they still grieve the loss of their son one year later and wonder what he was like in his last moments alive.
The families of the three children who overdosed and survived were also present in court.
The Bronx district attorney's office is also charging Herrera-Garcia with crimes related to the case.
