Vigil for Springfield mother, infant son shot in Hartford
Nov 26, 2024
HARTFORD, CT. (WWLP) - A vigil will be held in Hartford on Tuesday to remember the young mother and her four-month-old baby from Springfield who were murdered in a triple shooting last week.
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The group "Mothers Unite Against Violence" will host the vigil at 6:00 p.m. at 380 New Britain Avenue in Hartford.
Jessiah Mercado, 20, and her four-month-old baby Messiah Diaz were shot last Tuesday at around 2:47 p.m. on New Britain Avenue in Hartford in Mercado’s car when someone pulled up next to them and opened fire, according to the Hartford Police Department.
The suspect has been identified as 23-year-old Lance Morales aka Macho from Waterbury, Connecticut and police believe the motive was a dispute over a vehicle. He is being charged with murder in their deaths. He was arrested over the weekend in Puerto Rico and will be extradited to Connecticut.
Lance Morales (Hartford Police Department)
The state Department of Children and Families said Messiah Diaz was in foster care in Massachusetts at the time of Tuesday’s shooting. In a statement to 22News, a DCF spokesperson said “DCF is investigating this tragic situation and working in collaboration with law enforcement.”
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