Danbury woman accused of leaving her newborn son in a dumpster to die appears in court with new attorney
Dominique Harrison is now being represented by Gene Zingaro
More Stories
Dominique Harrison, the Danbury woman accused of killing her newborn son by leaving him in a dumpster back in 2018, appeared in court on Friday alongside new attorney Gene Zingaro.
"My initial impressions are very different from everyone else, because I've met with Dominique," Zingaro told News 12 following the appearance.
A search warrant alleged that Harrison told police she put her son in the dumpster back in 2018 while he was still alive, with Connecticut Assistant State’s Attorney Mary-Caitlin Harding telling the court at her June 22 arraignment that the case “paints a picture of a level of depravity that is nearly inconceivable."
Police believe the newborn was then killed when the dumpster was loaded into a recycling truck and compacted, before being found at City Carting trash and recycling center in Stamford.
"I'm aware of what's in the warrant, but I haven't seen the interview, and I don't know what her mental state was, I don't know what her emotional state was," said Zingaro. "Am I disputing that some of these facts are correct? No I'm not disputing that ."
According to court documents, Harrison had told police that the baby's father never knew she was pregnant.
However on Friday, friends of Harrison told News 12 off camera that he knew, and had been taking her back and forth to doctos appointments until one day, she just told him she had the baby, and given it up for adoption, and that was that.
"I don't know if we're going to have her evaluated psychologically, it would seem that that would be a logical step," Zingaro said.
The search warrant, which was obtained by News 12, also alleges Harrison gave birth to another son in 2019, then wrapped him in a Snoopy blanket and left him in the woods behind her house, before also putting him in a dumpster.
Harrison's friends say that baby had the same father as the first one, but he had no idea she was pregnant a second time.
Still, Zongaro says before 2018, "(Harrison) doesn't have a history of anything like this, and yet at the same time, I don't know that the state and the court care about her history, when the charges are this serious."
In court Friday, the State said it would be filing a motion for "non-testimonial evidence," which Zingaro says will include DNA.
Meanwhile he still needs to get his hands on all of the discovery and review the information.
"I need to have her evaluated and speak to her, which is going to be a very long process, maybe an 18 month to 24 month process," he admitted.
Zingaro will be back in court for the case on September 17, but it was agreed Harrison does not need to appear then as well.
