Lawyer wants charged dropped against Fairfield woman accused of killing dogs

BRIDGEPORT – It was not a scene Fairfield police officers would soon forget.

Called to a home on Prince Street by a distressed landlord, they testified Wednesday they found the remains of five large dogs in wire cages. They left after 15 minutes.

“There was a pretty bad smell,” said Officer Raymond Quiles.

The officers, Quiles, Officer John McGrath, Sgt. Michael Komm and Animal Control Officer Paul Miller, were each called to the witness stand before Superior Court Judge Peter McShane as more than a dozen members of Desmond’s Army, an animal abuse awareness organization, sat grim-faced in the back of the courtroom.

Heidi Lueders, the 32-year-old owner of a dog rescue agency, is charged with five counts of animal cruelty. But before she goes on trial before McShane next month, her lawyer, Rob Serafinowicz, is asking the judge to throw the case out.

He contends that Fairfield police illegally went into his client’s home without a search warrant and that when police finally secured the warrant it was based on an initial illegal search.

Prior to the start of testimony Wednesday afternoon, McShane denied a motion by Serafinowicz to close the trial, which will be before the judge with no jury, because Serafinowicz said he was concerned that Desmond’s Army members would disrupt the proceeding.

However, Assistant State’s Attorney Felicia Valentino, told the judge she had talked to the purpleshirted members and had been assured that their bylaws prohibited any court disruptions.

The trial is to begin Jan. 4. Valentino then began presenting her witnesses in opposition to Serafinowicz’s motion to dismiss the case or suppress evidence at trial.

Quiles testified on Nov. 14, 2018, he was dispatched to the Prince Street home based on a call from the owner of the house who was renting it to Lueders.

He said the landlord was upset about the condition inside the home.

“There was a smell of rotten flesh coming from the residence,” Quiles said.

He and the other officers then went inside where they discovered the remains of the dogs, he said.

Under cross examination by Serafinowicz, Quiles said they went in the house to “make sure there was no one dying inside.”

Miller testified he received a separate call from the landlord that there were dead dogs in the home. He said he went in with the officers to see if there were any injured animals. He said he later went back in after police had gotten a search warrant.

Testimony is to continue Friday afternoon.