An individual suspected of being involved in the tragic shooting of a woman and her 4-month-old son in Hartford, Connecticut, was apprehended in Puerto Rico on Saturday, as per officials.
Lance âMachoâ Morales, a 23-year-old resident of Waterbury, Connecticut, was located by the U.S. Marshals Service at a residence in Fajardo. Allegedly, Morales fired shots at a car where Jessiah Mercado, with whom he had a dispute over a vehicle, was seated. Mercado, aged 20, and her baby were fatally shot, while another man in the car sustained injuries.
Morales is currently in custody in Puerto Rico on a $3 million bond and is awaiting extradition to Connecticut. Authorities in Hartford issued an arrest warrant this week charging Morales with two counts of murder and additional offenses.
Efforts to reach an attorney for Morales were unsuccessful at the time of reporting. Hartford police and the Marshals Service were contacted for attorney information.
Law enforcement officials were able to identify Morales through surveillance footage and tips from the public. During a press conference, Acting Hartford Police Chief Kenny Howell urged Morales to surrender.
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Earlier this year, Morales was released from prison after serving a three-year sentence for attempted assault, according to law enforcement.
âSince this tragic and malicious act of violence occurred, investigators from the Hartford Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service Violent Fugitive Task Forces in Connecticut and Puerto Rico have been working tirelessly to apprehend the suspect,â stated acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Connecticut, Lawrence Bobnick, in a press release.
