Crime
20-year-old Jessiah Mercado and her four-month-old son Messiah Diaz killed in Hartford shooting
The man in the vehicle suffered gunshot wounds and was transported to a local hospital, where he is now recovering.
Tragedy struck Hartford on Tuesday when a mother and her infant were fatally shot in what police are calling a targeted attack.
The victims have been identified as 20-year-old Jessiah Mercado of Springfield and her four-month-old son, Messiah Diaz.
The shooting occurred at approximately 2:47 p.m. near Thomas Hyland Memorial Park on New Britain Avenue.
Mercado was sitting in her car with her baby and a man in his 20s when another vehicle pulled alongside them and opened fire, according to the Hartford Police Department.
Mercado and her son were pronounced dead at the scene.
The man in the vehicle suffered gunshot wounds and was transported to a local hospital, where he is now recovering.
The location of the shooting, close to a daycare center and Trinity College, has heightened community concerns.
Hartford Police have not yet released a description of the suspect or their vehicle but are actively pursuing leads.
Investigators are interviewing witnesses and analyzing surveillance footage from nearby cameras in hopes of identifying the assailant.
Authorities urge anyone with information about the shooting to contact the Hartford Police Department as they continue their investigation into this heartbreaking incident.
LAS VEGAS, NV – A 36-year-old man accused of setting multiple Tesla vehicles on fire using Molotov cocktails has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies, according to court and jail records.
The suspect, identified as Paul Hyon Kim, was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on Wednesday.
He faces 15 charges, including:
- Arson,
- Destruction of property valued at $5,000 or more,
- Possession of an incendiary device, and
- Misdemeanor discharging a firearm into a vehicle.
Video footage from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) showed a suspect, dressed in black, targeting at least five Tesla vehicles in the parking lot of a Tesla service center located at 6260 Badura Avenue, near Jones Boulevard and the 215 Beltway.
The incident occurred around 2:45 a.m. on February 18.
Authorities say the suspect used multiple incendiary devices to ignite the Teslas, one of which failed to detonate and was recovered inside a vehicle.
Additionally, the front doors of the facility were vandalized with the word “RESIST” spray-painted across them.
During a news conference later that morning, Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren described the attack as a targeted assault on Tesla property, with potential ideological motivations.
“This was a targeted attack against a Tesla facility,” Koren stated. “While we believe this was an isolated incident, we are increasing our presence at Tesla-related locations throughout the valley as a precaution.”
The Clark County Fire Department and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force are actively involved in the investigation.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Spencer Evans acknowledged the attack had “some of the hallmarks of terrorism” but refrained from making a definitive classification.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, however, released a strongly worded statement, referring to the attack as part of a pattern of violence targeting Tesla facilities.
“The swarm of violent attacks on Tesla property is nothing short of domestic terrorism,” Bondi stated.
Kim remains in custody as the investigation continues.
Authorities urge anyone with additional information to contact Las Vegas Metro Police or the FBI.