The tragedy unfolded inside a West Jordan home where a woman was found dead with her two young children nearby. On Monday, local law enforcement officers responded to a welfare check and discovered the lifeless body of the woman in her residence. According to FOX 13, authorities are currently investigating what transpired leading up to the woman's death while the suspect has been arrested.
In a chilling revelation, the husband of the deceased, Carlos Mercado, admitted to leaving his wife's body at the bottom of the stairs to go out to purchase beer. Police interviews reported by KUTV detailed that Mercado was drinking heavily with his wife the night before her death. "He told detectives he discovered his wife unresponsive around 8:39 a.m. that day, saying he thought she had passed out 'due to her having vertigo and falling down the stairs.'" Signs of rigor mortis indicated she had been deceased for several hours before being found.
Further investigation into the circumstances of Autumn Mercado's death is ongoing, as local authorities collaborate with the Medical Examiner’s Office. ABC4 reports that Carlos Mercado was booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on two felony counts of child abandonment and misdemeanor failure to report a dead body. He is currently being held without bail pending a pretrial hearing.
While charges brought against any suspect are merely allegations until proven in court, the weight of this situation is borne by the presence of innocent, children who were found in the home where their mother died. "Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt," as reported by ABC4.
