Escaped Prisoner Believed To Be In NYC Caught In Georgia

Update, 7 p.m.:

The escaped prisoner was located and arrested in Cherokee County, Georgia, a long way from where he was rumored to be hiding out in Manhattan. You can read more here.

MANHATTAN, NY — An escaped prisoner is thought to be hiding out in New York City's subway system, trying to blend in with commuters despite him likely wearing a bright orange prison-issued jumpsuit, according to officials and a report.

Law enforcement sources believe Jerry Mercado, 25, a convicted burglar thought to have fled a Connecticut prison in the back of a garbage truck, could be on the lam in Manhattan.

Mercado escaped from the Carl Robinson Correctional Institution in Enfield, Connecticut on Jan. 7, authorities said.

"Mercado may have fled the state of Connecticut and may be hiding out in neighboring states, including the New York City metro area where a tip was generated from," the U.S. Marshals said in a statement on Tuesday.

NBC New York quoted sources who said the man is thought to be riding the rails and wearing the jumpsuit.

The U.S. Marshals say that Mercado is a "low-risk offender," but have increased the reward for information leading to his arrest from $1,500 to $2,500.

Mercado was serving a three year sentence for burglary when he escaped.

Officials say that anyone who spots Mercado should alert authorities. The 25-year-old is 5-foot-4 and has one tattoo on his neck and a second on his face.

Image credit: Connecticut Department of Correction