Louisville Fugitive Captured in Jamaica

LOUISVILLE, Ky. --

The nearly decade-long search for a man who police said nearly killed his own child and the child's mother is over.

Investigators believe Victor Mercado was also a major drug dealer in the Louisville area.

The chase took them to the Caribbean, and marshals said the ever-changing identity of Mercado made their job tougher.

"He would change his identity quite regularly," said Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Rich Knighten.

In fact, "Victor Mercado" might not even be the suspect's actual name.

The marshals' task force started searching for the Jamaican native in 2005. Metro Police said Mercado shot his girlfriend in a Gagel Avenue home with their baby in the room.

"I know that she was struck in the right arm and the left bicep," Detective Sara Fischer told WLKY in August 2005.

Marshals later learned Florida authorities arrested him in 2000 in a major drug case, but said Mercado fled under a false name.

"He was fingerprinted in Florida after the arrest and made bond prior to Florida getting a criminal history," said Jeremy Clinton of the Fugitive Task Force.

"We had a year or two where we didn't have any leads at all," Knighten said.

Clinton said the multiple identities didn't help, but neither did the attempted murder victim.

"He shot her in front of their child, her mother and her brother," he said. "They all saw this happen. [She] initially was very supportive of law enforcement and had a change of heart a couple of weeks later."

A few weeks ago, investigators got a break. Marshals in Jamaica learned Mercado was staying with family. They sat on the house, and eventually captured him.

"It's an early Christmas present," Clinton said.

Mercado will soon have to identify himself before a Kentucky judge. Maybe then, marshals will learn who they've been chasing.

"Regardless of the name, he's looking at some serious time," Knighten said.

Jamaican officials said Mercado appeared before a judge as Robert Hamilton and has told authorities he was born in Jamaica as "Garret Findley."

WLKY has learned the Drug Enforcement Agency has a case on Mercado.

The feds indicted him on possession with the intent to distribute more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana.

Mercado's girlfriend said through a lawyer years ago she was uncooperative with federal authorities because she feared for her life. However, marshals believe she'd forgiven Mercado, was communicating with him, and refused to cooperate.

Mercado will appear in a Jamaican court Thursday, where it's expected he'll officially waive extradition to Kentucky.

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