Police have charged Marcos Mercado (pictured) with murder, felony murder, first-degree robbery and possession of an assault rifle in the killing of a 41-year-old Connecticut man on Christmas eve during what was apparently an “internet date” gone terribly wrong.
The shooting took place in Southington, about 20 miles southwest of Hartford, according to the Courant:
“Police believe Mercado killed Szadkowski some time late on Christmas Eve or early on Christmas Day. Szadkowski's partially-burned body was found inside his apartment dec. 26 by police after a co-worker at a Bank of America call center contacted authorities when Szadkowski failed to show up for work…Southington police said information on the victim's computer provided crucial evidence about the online meeting of the two and the plans they made. ‘It was decided that Mercado would go over to Szadkowski's apartment for a date and then something obviously went terribly wrong,' department spokesman Sgt. Lowell DePalma said. He said the two apparently got into an argument. Mercado then got an assault rifle out of his car, went back into the apartment and shot Szadkowski in the head, DePalma said. Mercado then set Szadkowski's body on fire, DePalma said. Although there were burns on Szadkowski's body there was no serious damage to the apartment and the fire never became widespread enough to alert neighbors to what was happening.”
Mercado, 21, who is being held on $2 million bond, is scheduled to appear in court today.
Man Charged In Southington Murder [hartford courant]
