At the Special Moments Daycare on East 52nd Street, administrators put forth a varied curriculum that included reading, writing and, allegedly, rolling blunts.
So say police, who allegedly uncovered 10 pounds of marijuana, as well as over $103,000 in cash, during a sweep of the day care following a police involved shooting there on Friday.
On Saturday, 37−year−old Donna Rogers and 36−year−old Sherwin Rogers, the owners of the day care between Clarendon Road and Ditmas Avenue, were in custody, arraigned on charges of criminal possession of marijuana.
“After the shooting, we were talking to people and we uncovered the information that there was drugs inside the home,” said an NYPD source close to the case. “People on the block didn’t have a clue and neither did we. It wasn’t on our radar screen.”
After learning that drugs could be in the house, cops got a search warrant. The drugs were found in a basement closet.
It’s isn’t believed that the couple was selling marijuana from the day care.
“They were using the place as a stash house,” the source alleged.
Police said that the stash was nearly swiped from the couple Friday afternoon when three armed men raided the place.
Officials alleged that 34−year−old Gavin Nugent of Tilden Avenue, 35−year−old Dwayne Jackson of Clarkson Avenue and 36−year−old Carl Grierson of Willmohr Street entered the day care before 12:30 p.m. on June 26 pretending to be parents of children enrolled in the day care.
They then pulled guns on one of the four adults inside while 12 toddlers were having nap time, police alleged.
A witness to the hold−up called 911 about a robbery in progress.
Members of the 67th Precinct’s anti−crime team responded quickly and confronted Nugent in a room adjacent to where the children were napping.
When Nugent allegedly turned his weapon on the officers, the cops opened fire. Three rounds were fired, striking Nugent in the torso and wrist.
Nugent ran downstairs, police alleged. During their pursuit, police apprehended Jackson, who was in the basement but not armed.
Cops reportedly fired another round at Nugent, who was still armed, after he was found in the rear bedroom of the basement apartment. He was ultimately taken into custody and rushed to an area hospital, where he was listed in stable condition after treatment.
Grierson was apprehended outside the day care center, officials said.
Police said that none of the three suspects told police what they were doing at the address.
“They’re really not talking to us,” the source said, as he described just how dangerous the altercation could have been. “The shooting took place right in front of the 12 kids −− right where they were sleeping.”
