Utica Mother Arrested After Child Found Wandering Unsupervised for Sixth Time

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UTICA, NY – On the morning of September 26th, 2024, at approximately 5:45 a.m., Utica Police were dispatched to the 700 block of Bleecker Street after a Centro bus driver discovered a three-year-old child walking alone in the rain, wearing only a diaper.

In response to the cold and rainy weather, the bus driver provided the child with a sweatshirt while waiting for officers to arrive. Upon their arrival, police immediately recognized the child, marking the sixth documented instance of the child being found unsupervised.

Officers proceeded to the child's residence, where they found all the doors wide open. After knocking, they were able to wake the mother, Shara Harrison, 31, of Utica, and inform her that her child had once again been found wandering outside.

Due to the repeated incidents of neglect, Harrison was taken into custody and transported to the Utica Police Department. She has been charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child.

A referral has also been submitted to Oneida County Child Protective Services for further investigation.