[naviga:img class="img-responsive" src="/Assets/news2015/1114DayMercado.JPG" alt="Henry Mercado"/]

Henry Mercado

New London — A city man is in custody after he allegedly burglarized a Center Street home and used a “cutting-type instrument” to injure the homeowner, according to police.

Police said they were called to 15 Center St. at 3:16 p.m. Monday for a burglary in progress. Dispatchers informed responding officers that the homeowner and several neighbors had detained the suspect, later identified as 37-year-old Henry Mercado.

According to police, it was the second reported burglary at the residence in as many days. Police haven't yet identified a suspect in the first burglary but actively are working on the case.

Police said the incident began when the homeowner and a witness saw Mercado on the property and confronted him. Mercado allegedly threatened the owner with the cutting-type instrument and a struggle ensued. Both parties sustained lacerations in the incident, which police described as minor.

Mercado, whose last known address is 58 Jefferson Ave., was charged with first-degree burglary, possession of burglary tools, second-degree assault, carrying a dangerous weapon and second-degree threatening.

Held on a $50,000 bond, he was to be arraigned Tuesday in New London Superior Court.

Records show Mercado also has a pending case out of Groton City, where police charged him July 10 with engaging police in pursuit and illegal possession of a weapon in a vehicle, among other things. He was released from custody in that case after posting a $10,000 nonsurety bond.