The sister of a Utah woman found dread at the bottom of a stairwell says the victim’s boyfriend, who hasn’t been charged, pushed her.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, police found Autumn Mercado, 39, dead on January 13, according to FOX 13 Now. Her death came to light after a coworker contacted authorities when she didn’t show up to work. According to West Jordan Police Sgt. Andrew Hercules, police subsequently performed a welfare check
“The death appeared suspicious to responding officers,” Hercules said during a news conference.
Her husband, Carlos Mercado, told investigators he believed his wife was asleep, so he covered her with a blanket, and left their two children at home to buy beer.
“Officers could smell the odor of alcohol coming from Carlos’ breath and noticed he had a hard time maintaining his balance. Multiple open containers of alcohol were observed throughout the front room and kitchen area,” an affidavit stated.
He later claimed she fell down the stairs due to vertigo after drinking until the early morning, leading him to think she had fallen asleep at the bottom of the stairs.
Autumn Mercado’s sister, Summer Christiansen, did not accept his explanation, according to what she told NewsNation Now.
“We’re a family. We love hard, and we’re living a nightmare,” Christiansen said.
“If you love them, how do you not pick them up? How do you not put them on a couch? How do you not cuddle them, put them back in bed I don’t believe it.”
Carlos Mercado has since been charged with child abandonment and failure to report a death, which follows several previous legal troubles.
In 2022, a jury found him guilty of assault and domestic violence in the presence of a child. The previous year, he faced similar charges, but prosecutors reportedly did not reach out to the victim, his wife.
In 2019, Carlos Mercado was convicted of third-degree felony aggravated assault against his then-fiancé, Autumn.
“He didn’t protect her at all. We did not know it was to this degree. I mean, she was slashed with a knife. She got her teeth knocked out … we did not know,” Christiansen said.
Meanwhile, Summer Christiansen told NewsNation that the family was not aware of the full extent of the abuse Autumn experienced.
“Now that she is passed, you know, people are coming forward, telling us that Autumn confided in them,” she said.
Autumn Mercado worked as a registered nurse and had ambitions to become a nurse practitioner, a role her family said would have matched her caring nature.
Carlos Mercado remains behind bars without bail at the Salt Lake County Metro Jail
The investigation continues. Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Autumn Mercado/GoFundMe]
