Tragedy in the Bronx: A 1-year-old boy named Nicholas Dominici dies after suspected opioid exposure at a home-based daycare.
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Three other children, aged 1, 2, and 8 months, were hospitalized in critical condition due to potential opioid contact.
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The New York City police received a 911 call reporting three unconscious children at the daycare facility just before 3 p.m. on Friday.
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Investigating officers discovered that the children had likely been exposed to opioids over an extended period on that fateful Friday.
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One 2-year-old boy, who left the daycare around 12:15 p.m., was found lethargic and unresponsive by his mother. Narcan, an opioid-reversal medication, saved his life.
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The children who remained at the daycare had lunch around 1 p.m. and took a nap. When daycare workers tried to wake them at 2:30 p.m.,
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they found three children unconscious and exhibiting symptoms of opioid exposure.
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All three unresponsive children received Narcan in an attempt to save their lives, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
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The hospitalized children do not share a familial relationship and all reside in the Bronx.
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A search warrant executed at the Divino Nino Day Care led to the discovery of drug paraphernalia, including a kilo press commonly used by drug dealers to package drugs.
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An active criminal investigation is ongoing, with two individuals being questioned by detectives, and charges are expected.
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The city medical examiner will conduct an autopsy on Nicholas Dominici, and medical tests will be performed on the surviving children to identify the drugs they were exposed to.
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