A Connecticut man was arrested this week in connection with a 2023 auto theft in Ellington after DNA collected from the stolen car allegedly tied him to the crime.
Eduardo Mercado, 23, of Meriden was taken into custody on an active arrest warrant Thursday and charged with larceny of a motor vehicle, according to the Connecticut State Police.
The case stemmed from May 29, 2023, when troopers from Troop C in Tolland were dispatched to a residence in Ellington for a report or a stolen motor vehicle taken from the driveway overnight, state police said.
The resident told state police he had returned from shopping the previous night and parked his 2020 Subaru Legacy in the driveway, When he woke up the next morning and went outside, he noticed his Subaru was missing, according to the warrant affidavit for Mercado’s arrest.
Investigators were initially unable to develop information about the location of the stolen Subaru. On Aug. 1, 2023, the stolen vehicle was located in New Britain by officers from the New Britain Police Department, according to state police.
A New Britain detective at the scene told state police “he was notified by a suspect of another larceny regarding a stolen motor vehicle,” the warrant affidavit said.
After recovering the stolen Subaru, state police collected DNA evidence from inside of the vehicle to send to the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory for examination.
Investigators learned on Oct. 20, 2023, that an examination of the DNA evidence revealed a positive DNA hit, identifying the suspect as Mercado, according to the warrant affidavit.
State police requested and obtained a search warrant to obtain a sample of Mercado’s DNA.
DNA samples were collected from Mercado, who was incarcerated at the New Haven Correctional Center on a separate matter, state police said.
Those samples that were submitted to the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. Testing allegedly confirmed that the DNA obtained from Mercado was consistent with the DNA collected from the stolen Subaru, according to state police.
Based on the results of the testing, investigators submitted an arrest warrant application for Mercado, which was granted by a judge, state police said.
State police learned that that Mercado was no longer in custody at New Haven Correctional Center and made multiple efforts to locate Mercado.
On Thursday, Mercado was located with the assistance of the Meriden Police Department and placed under arrest, according to state police. He was subsequently taken into state police custody and transported to Troop C, where he was processed and charged.
Mercado was being held on a $50,000 bond and had been scheduled for arraignment at Rockville Superior Court on Friday.
Originally Published:
