Jessiah Mercado Obituary, Death: Suspect in Hartford shooting that killed mother and infant arrested in Puerto Rico
Jessiah Mercado Obituary, Death – A suspect linked to a Hartford, Connecticut shooting that claimed the lives of a Massachusetts mother and her infant was arrested in Puerto Rico by the U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force, according to Hartford Police. Lance “Macho” Morales, 23, was taken into custody on Saturday and faces multiple charges, including two counts of murder, first-degree assault, and criminal possession of a firearm. He is being held on a $3 million bond, awaiting extradition.
The fatal shooting occurred around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday on New Britain Avenue near Hillside Avenue and Zion Street. Police reported that a car pulled up next to the victims’ vehicle and opened fire before fleeing the scene.
The victims, identified as Jessiah Mercado, 20, and her 4-month-old son Messiah Diaz, both from Springfield, Massachusetts, were rushed to the hospital but succumbed to their injuries. A third victim, a man in his 20s, sustained non-life-threatening injuries, while the car’s driver was unharmed.
Authorities identified Morales, whose last-known address is in Waterbury, Connecticut, as the suspect in the shooting. After fleeing the scene, Morales reportedly left in a white Infiniti Q-70 with a Massachusetts license plate reading “3NEB35.” Officials suspect he may have had access to additional vehicles, though details on how he traveled to Puerto Rico remain unclear.
Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from a dispute over a vehicle. Morales will face extradition proceedings to return to Connecticut for further legal action.
