The following is an extended version of the story which appears in our latest print edition. 

 

The parents of one-year-old Nicholas Feliz Dominici, who tragically died following an apparent fentanyl overdose at Divino Niño Daycare Center in Kingsbridge Heights on Friday, Sept. 15, were joined by members of the clergy, friends, neighbors, residents, and various elected officials for a candlelit remembrance service at Our Lady of Angels church on Webb Avenue in Kingsbridge Heights on Sunday, Oct. 15, one month after the infant’s passing.

 

A private prayer service, closed to the media, was held inside the church at 7 p.m. where attendees were afforded the opportunity to sympathize in person with Nicholas’s heartbroken parents, his father, Otoniel Feliz Samboy, and mother, Zoila Dominici, who are also parents to four other young children. The service was followed by refreshments, a brief press conference with the parents and elected officials outside the church led by District 14 City Councilwoman Pierina Sanchez, and a choral recital.

 

Acknowledging the tragic death of Nicholas at the daycare center, where he “should have been safe,” Sanchez said in part, “As a family, we gathered to support the Dominici and the Feliz family.” She thanked everyone for joining the vigil before turning the mic over to Feliz Samboy, who she said would talk about his son and what “the future will hold for our City and our City’s children.”

Surrounded by the light of candles and holding his wife in his arms, his eyes red from crying, but maintaining the same determined strength and composure he exuded during a press conference at the Bronx District Attorney’s office on Oct. 5, when State charges were announced against those responsible for his son’s death, Feliz Samboy thanked everyone for attending the service.

 

Speaking in Spanish, he said even though it had been a month since his son’s death, it was still a very difficult time for his family. “At this moment, we’re feeling the same pain,” he said in part. “These candles are a sign that the life of our son will always shine.” He said he felt the love and support of his family and each person and was grateful for it. “I know my son’s passing will not be in vain, not only because those who are guilty will pay, but also because due to his death, many things will change, not only in this City, but in this country and across the world,” he said.

 

Feliz Samboy went on to say, “It’s the moment to do the right and conscientious thing following this tragedy that happened to my family.” He said that although his family bore the brunt of the tragedy, they carried with them the knowledge that their motivation going forward in honoring Nicholas’ passing was to ensure the protection of other children in the United States and across the world.

 

He said during the mass, his family felt the support of the whole community, not just locally but across the world, and he acknowledged the many letters he said they had received at their home. He thanked again all the organizations and officials from The Bronx, City, State, and federal government who he said had assisted his family throughout the tragedy. “Without all this support, we would not have been able to carry on,” he said.

“Thank you to the community for your support, for your nourishing words and messages of condolences and support which have helped us get up each day and face the future with a reason and a motivation to continue forward, that is our family,” he said in part. “Thanks for reminding us that we’re not alone.” He said in the immediate aftermath of Nicholas’ death, he/his family didn’t know how to cope with life but the support of the community and that of God had kept them on their feet, and helped them continue to fight for their four other children.

 

“Now, I am a lucky citizen because I have four children in this City who live with me in my home, but I also have one son who has emigrated to the celestial city where we await each other and one day, we will be reunited as a family,” he said, in part. “He will always live in our hearts. Despite the pain and sadness and suffering we feel every day, every night, which has exhausted us, I give thanks to God.” Nonetheless, the heartbroken father explained that even though he knew all those responsible would pay for their crimes, it still wouldn’t bring peace to his family’s hearts.

 

In the aftermath of Nicholas’ death, during various different press conferences, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan and others went to great lengths to highlight how a seemingly small amount of fentanyl (“less than the size of a fingernail” the mayor said) could have lethal consequences.

 

Earlier this year, NYC Administration for Children Services (ACS) launched a specific ad campaign, highlighting the risk to kids of potentially confusing colorfully wrapped cannabis for candy. Norwood News previously reported on the confiscation of a weed truck by police in Fordham Manor, along with others across the City, which had allegedly been selling illegal products under the guise of candy or ice cream.

In light of the referenced repeat warnings by City officials about the dangers of fentanyl, Norwood News spoke to Gibson after the service on Oct. 15 and asked her about various media reports which appear to downplay the seriousness of the fentanyl crisis, presenting it essentially as a myth and as scaremongering, particularly around Halloween. Gibson disagreed that the matter was overblown. Read our story which includes her lengthy response here.

 

We also previously reported on a free, public, overdose prevention training course that was held by the nonprofit, Keep It Simple & Safe (KISS), in St. James Park in Kingsbridge Heights during the summer of 2022, which aimed to train members of the public on how to use Narcan kits.

 

According to health experts, a Narcan kit containing Naloxone is a potentially lifesaving measure designed to help reverse the effects of an opioid overdose in minutes. Since most opioid overdoses occur in the home, and are most often witnessed by a third party, according to manufacturers, having a Narcan rescue kit nearby can make all the difference. “We probably saved the lives of three of those children because of Narcan,” the mayor said of the childcare medical emergency on Sept. 15, during which Nicholas died and three other children were hospitalized but survived.

 

Representatives from KISS joined the September 52nd Precinct Community Council meeting in Kingsbridge Heights as well as a recent Bronx Community Board 7 meeting in order to remind residents of their free training, and of the availability of Narcan kits. A similar training event was held in City Island this year, as reported.

Meanwhile, back at the remembrance service, Sanchez thanked Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, Assembly Member George Alvarez (A.D. 78), State Senator Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33), State Sen. Robert Jackson (S.D. 31), State Assembly Member Yudelka Tapia (A.D. 86), most of whom were present, the leadership of the NYPD, who she said had fought so hard to get arrests promptly after the horrific tragedy, the leadership in the community from P.S. 310, the parents, the principal, all of the community, the International School for Liberal Arts (ISLA) Middle School, the Marie Curie High School, Bronx Community Board 7, and everyone for coming together to ensure that the tragedy and loss of Nicolas would not be in vain.

 

Sanchez also thanked the clergy of Our Lady of Angels church and Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark and her team who she said were fighting with all their might for justice for Nicholas.

 

As reported, Clark was joined by members of law enforcement at her office on Oct. 5 to announce that Feliz Herrera Garcia, the husband of Grei Mendez, the operator of Divino Niño Daycare Center, Mendez herself, and Carlisto Acevedo Brito, cousin of Herrera Garcia, were charged with murder “under circumstances evincing a depraved indifference to human life, assault, and other charges for allegedly exposing Nicholas and three other surviving babies to fentanyl which was stored in the daycare. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.

As previously reported, they also face additional federal charges related to drug trafficking. As reported last month, the daycare center had undergone three inspections by city health officials to obtain its license, including one surprise inspection prior to the poisoning incident on Sept. 15. Federal and local law enforcement later recovered large quantities of what appears to have been fentanyl under the floorboards of the daycare center where infants had been sleeping.

 

Mendez and Herrera Garcia were due ot appear in Bronx Criminal Court of March 12 (2024) but the case was adjourned to a later date. We will continue our coverage of the case.

 

For his part, Espaillat said during the vigil, “We’re here to support this family, a young family, an honest family, a hardworking family to show them that the community is behind them, and that this tragedy perhaps will lift the city up so that it doesn’t happen to another family like them, that it doesn’t happen to any other child. Thank you and we are with you.”

 

Since the vigil took place, Sanchez and Rivera have worked together to introduce new laws at City and State level to protect children from opioid exposure.

 

Meanwhile, as reported, in the wake of Nicholas’ tragic death, Feliz Samboy made a public proposal during a press conference at the Bronx District Attorney’s Office Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023, to include funding in New York City’s budget to pay family members who don’t wish to leave their kids at a daycare in order to allow them (or grandparents) to care for the young children directly. Norwood News readers later weighed in on this proposal with their thoughts.

 

The vigil concluded with raised candles, hymns, and chants of, “Nicholas, always,” and “We are Nicholas.”

 

Fentanyl Patch Safety

Video courtesy of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration via YouTube

NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) provides training and regularly updated information on how to obtain and administer naloxone (Narcan). Click here for more information.

 

Read our previous coverage on the Divino Niño Daycare Center tragedy here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

 

Read our previous coverage on subsequent fentanyl drug and arms busts reported in recent weeks here, here, and here.

 

 

*David Greene contributed to this story.