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Jun 03, 2023

Parents of infant dumped in NYC snuck her out after she was dead: prosecutors

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The parents of the 3-month-old girl dumped in trash-strewn woods near Yankee Stadium dressed the dead infant in a hat and onesie and put her in a stroller — so they could sneak her body out of their Bronx shelter without raising alarms, prosecutors alleged Wednesday.

The shocking new details emerged as dad Damion Comager, 23, was arraigned in Bronx Criminal Court on charges of murder, manslaughter and concealment of a human corpse in the gristly death of his daughter Genevieve Rozzlyn Comager.

Comager is accused of shaking the infant before he and his girlfriend, 20-year-old Ivana Paolozzi, allegedly dumped her remains in a wooded area on the side of the Major Deegan Expressway, where she was found Sunday night.

"Both defendants changed her diaper, placed her in a onesie and a hat, wrapped her in a blanket, and placed her in the stroller," Assistant District Attorney Serena Newell said in court.

The prosecutor said surveillance video captured the gory stroll.

"The defendant pushed that stroller containing Genevieve's corpse out of the shelter where they were living," Newell continued, "successfully prompting no inspection or questions from the shelter staff."

The sick pair together "placed their daughter Genevieve's body into a garbage bag and disposed of said garbage bag and the baby stroller into a wooded area amongst massive trash," Newell told Judge Matthew Bondy.

Comager, wearing a black T-shirt with his dreadlocks in a ponytail, held his head down during the proceedings, and didn't speak other than to whisper to his lawyer, who said Comager wanted to make a phone call. He was ordered held without bail pending a return to court on Friday.

Paolozzi, who is charged only with concealment of a human corpse, tampering with evidence and obstructing governmental administration, was arraigned later and released with monitoring.

Newell argued that Paolozzi "poses a significant flight risk" and holds a Swiss passport while in the US on an expired visa.

However, the charges against her are not eligible for bail under the state's controversial 2019 criminal justice reforms.

Paolozzi, dressed in black, only spoke when responding "yes" to Bondy.

Prosecutors allege the young mom lied to city Administration for Children's Services investigators on Sunday about her daughter's death and disappearance.

"Ivana Paolozzi stated that the defendants and their daughter, Genevieve Comager, were all alive, safe and had relocated to Louisiana," according to the criminal complaint against her.

In fact, the baby had been dead for two weeks, prosecutors said.

The parents were arrested Monday after Comager allegedly confessed to his dad — who tipped off cops, leading to the search that turned up little Genevieve's body.

Donald Comager told The Post this week that his son allegedly admitted that he shook the baby when she wouldn't stop crying on May 14, and later found her "stiff" and "cold."

Police sources said Damion Comager also allegedly admitted he slapped the baby after getting frustrated.

The parents allegedly panicked, stuffed her body in a bag and dumped their tiny daughter.

Damion Comager, of Louisiana, met Paolozzi, who is from Switzerland while traveling in Europe. The couple moved to New York in December, three months before Genevieve was born, according to Comager's parents.

Comager struggled with mental illness and was diagnosed bipolar and schizophrenic as a child, his dad said. He had several prior arrests in the Pelican State on assault, domestic violence and criminal impersonation charges dating to 2021, according to NYPD sources.

Prosecutors said he is still sought on three outstanding warrants in Colorado, where he had traveled, for assault, failing to appear in court and violating probation.

He fled to Paris, where he first connected with Paolozzi on Facebook, and moved to Switzerland.

Donald Comager said he sought advice from a local minister in Louisiana, where he lives, before calling cops at the 44th Precinct stationhouse in The Bronx about his son's alleged horrific deeds.

"I called my pastor before I made the phone call," he said. "We prayed and he told me he can't tell me what to do but I should do the right thing. That's when I made the call. That was my grandbaby."

Damion Comager's parents said they regularly checked in with the couple over FaceTime — but noticed that Genevieve suddenly became absent from their chats.

"I didn't ask why," Comager's mom Ashley Holmes told The Post. "I just thought he stopped FaceTiming and we talk[ed] on the phone. I knew something was wrong when I wasn't hearing the baby. I asked him, ‘How's the baby?’ He would say, ‘The baby is fine, the baby is sleeping.'"

She said her son eventually confessed, "She is gone. She is gone."

Donald Comager said he took custody of his son when Damion was just 3 months old and raised him until he turned 17 and "he ventured out to see the world."

"I’m hurting," the elder Comager said. "I want everyone to know my son loves his daughter."

On Wednesday, he said he's still trying to make sense of it all, but has one immediate goal.

"My main focus right now, you know, I know my son is locked up, but I am trying to get Genevieve's body to Louisiana so I can have a proper burial for her," he said.

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