U.S. Marshals increase reward for escaped Connecticut inmate

January 15, 2018 11:00 pm • Last Updated: January 17, 2018 9:39 am

This undated photo provided by the Connecticut Department of Correction shows Jerry Mercado. Authorities are searching for an inmate who escaped from a correctional facility in Enfield, Conn. Carl Robinson Correctional Institution officials say Mercado was unaccounted for Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018, during a routine facility count. (Connecticut Department of Correction via AP)

HARTFORD (AP) — The U.S. Marshals service is increasing its reward from $1,500 to up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest of an inmate who escaped from a Connecticut state prison.

Twenty-five-year-old Jerry Mercado escaped from the Carl Robinson Correctional Facility in Enfield on Jan. 7. Mercado was sentenced in August 2016 to three years for burglary.

The U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force announced Tuesday it was offering a larger reward for information leading to Mercado's arrest.

Authorities believe Mercado may have stowed away in the undercarriage of a garbage truck or state vehicle to escape. The U.S. Marshals say the inmate may have fled Connecticut and could be hiding in neighboring states, including the New York City metro area where a tip was generated.

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