Lance Morales was brought back to Connecticut on Saturday to face a judge after allegedly killing a mom and her baby, and escaping to Puerto Rico.
“He even attempted to elude capture for several days. He was finally located by the United States Marshals Service. He was extradited back here,” a state prosecutor said.
On Nov. 19, police say Morales, also known as “Macho,” allegedly shot and killed 20-year-old Jessiah Mercado and her 4-month-old baby Messiah Diaz in a drive-by shooting on New Britain Avenue in Hartford.
According to court documents, there was a dispute over a car between the two adults. Mercado was supposed to pay “Macho” $100 per day for renting a vehicle, but was behind in payments and owed the suspect $400.
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Court paperwork reveals a witness overheard Mercado say to Morales on the day of the shooting “I got my baby in the car,” and the witness then heard Morales respond, “I don’t care.”
Police say Morales fled to Puerto Rico where he was captured a few days later.
In court, it was revealed that Morales has five pending cases in Waterbury.
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“One is violation of probation stemming from an assault, one is a conviction where he owes seven years, another case is reckless driving, criminal mischief, tampering with evidence, interfering,” the bail commissioner said.
In connection to the Hartford double homicide, Morales is facing several charges including murder with special circumstances and assault.
The defense argued for bond to stay at $3 million, adding that Morales lives with his father and has no money to post bond.
The judge set bond at $5 million, noting the seriousness of the charges and that Morales fled the state. He is due back in court next Wednesday.
