Authorities in Connecticut were actively searching for a man believed to have murdered a woman and her baby inside a car following a disagreement over a vehicle. Acting Hartford Police Chief Kenny Howell called on the suspect, Lance “Macho” Morales, to surrender to the police.
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Lance “Macho” Morales has been apprehended in connection with the deadly shooting of a woman and her 4-month-old son in a vehicle in Hartford, Connecticut, on Saturday. Officials stated that the U.S. Marshals Service found Morales at a Fajardo, Puerto Rico home.
Authorities believe that the 23-year-old from Waterbury, Connecticut, drove up next to a car on Tuesday and opened fire due to a disagreement over a vehicle involving a woman identified as Jessiah Mercado. Unfortunately, both Mercado, 20, and her infant son were killed, and another man in the car was shot and wounded.
Morales is currently being held on a $3 million bond while he awaits extradition to Connecticut. He faces charges of two counts of murder and additional offenses as per an arrest warrant issued in the state, according to Hartford police and federal marshals. It remains unclear whether Morales has a lawyer, as inquiries for that information have been sent to the Marshals Service and Hartford police.
Law enforcement officials stated that investigators identified Morales by reviewing footage from the crime scene and receiving tips from the community. In a televised news conference on Wednesday, Acting Hartford Police Chief Kenny Howell appealed for Morales to surrender himself. According to police, Morales was released from prison earlier this year after completing a three-year sentence for attempted assault.
