Search continues for suspect in murders of Massachusetts mom, baby in Connecticut

The search continues for the suspect in a drive-by shooting in Hartford on Tuesday afternoon that killed a 20-year-old mother and her 4-month-old son.

Police said on Thursday that they have located the vehicle they were searching for.

Investigators are searching for 23-year-old Lance Morales, whose last known address was in Waterbury.

Police had been looking for a white Infinity Q70 with Massachusetts plates and said they found it unoccupied in Waterbury. Morales is believed to have access to several other vehicles as well.

Morales should be considered armed and dangerous, police warn. They ask anyone who sees him or has information about his whereabouts to call 911 and not approach him.

The mom and baby – 20-year-old Jessiah Mercado and her 4-month-old son, Messiah Diaz, both of Springfield, Massachusetts -- were shot in broad daylight near a busy grocery store on New Britain Avenue near the corner of Hillside Avenue and Zion Street just before 3 p.m. Tuesday, police said.

A memorial has been growing at the site since.

NBC Connecticut

NBC Connecticut has learned that Messiah was in foster care in Massachusetts. A spokesperson for the Department of Children and Families wrote in a statement, “DCF is investigating this tragic situation and working in collaboration with law enforcement.”

“Jessiah had a laugh and smile that brightened any room she walked in. If she loved anything in this world, it was to be a mother…although my childhood friend may be gone, their memory will forever be attached to my heart,” Bibianiz, a friend of Jessiah’s, said.

A man in his 20s was also shot and his injuries are not life-threatening. The driver of the vehicle that the victims were in was not injured, police said.

Authorities said someone dropped the victims off at the hospital on Tuesday and Mercado and Messiah later died.

On Wednesday, police held a news conference and announced that they are searching for Morales. They said he pulled up next to the vehicle the victims were in and fired gunshots.

Morales was on probation at the time of the shooting, according to court records.

Police believe he and the victims were acquaintances and the motive was a personal dispute over a vehicle.

Mercado had been part of a violence intervention program for young mothers called ROCA, which tries to reach people who might be in harm’s way.

She had lived in Hartford and the organization had recently helped her move to Springfield, Massachusetts for a chance at a safer life. On Tuesday, she was back in Hartford.

“Just having known Jessiah, knowing how much she fiercely tried to fight for a better life for herself, how much she inspired other participants to speak up for themselves, it was a shock to us,” Sunindiya Bhalla, ROCA executive vice president of Women and 2Gen, said.

Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said Mercado was working to improve things, including getting her GED.

“It's incredibly heartbreaking. I was with the family last night You know, as mayor there are nights when you just can't go to sleep and, as a dad, last night I just couldn't go to sleep thinking about this family this this incredible loss that they've had,” he said.

The mayor said violence prevention groups also met with the family to help make sure things don’t escalate.

Among them was Mothers United Against Violence, which reminds everyone to speak up if you know of someone in a concerning situation. They are planning a vigil for the young mother and her baby boy.

Those who knew Mercado said she was warm, funny and very passionate.

"Jessiah was my childhood best friend. She brought light to any darkness. A great mother, a trying mother, a protector. She had a beautiful smile. Her vibrant energy was contagious. She didn’t deserve any of this. May her soul rest in peace alongside her mother and beautiful son. We will get justice. Long live Jessiah and Messiah," Jessiah's friend Diamond said.

The charges against Morales include two counts of murder, murder with special circumstances, criminal possession of a firearm, assault in the first degree and criminal attempt to commit assault in the first degree.

Detectives are investigating. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 860-722-8477.