Authorities say a missing inmate who escaped from the Carl Robinson Correctional Institution in Enfield may have stowed away under a state service vehicle or garbage truck.
Speaking at a press briefing Monday, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Correction Scott Semple said Jerry Mercado was found to be missing after a routine inmate count on Sunday.
“He did not breach the outer perimeter of the fenceline, and we believe that a motor vehicle was involved,” Semple said.
Semple said the state is examining security procedures at the state’s other correctional facilities.
“Although our investigation is very much in our infancy, we acknowledge vulnerabilities that have been identified within our security practices,” Semple said.
Mercado was classified as a low-risk offender, serving a three-year sentence for burglary. Authorities believe he’s now in the Hartford area.
