A cyclist riding with a group near the Diamond Street Cycling Loop, near the Tucson Mall, Tuesday night died after a confrontation with another person.
Tucson Police say the confrontation took place at 8:15 p.m. on the river path near the 400 block of East Wetmore. Upon arrival, officers located an adult male with trauma. Bystanders had attempted to render aid before officers took over first-aid. Tucson Fire Department personnel arrived shortly thereafter and transported the victim to Banner University Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. Despite life-saving efforts, he was pronounced deceased at the hospital. The victim was identified as 44-year-old Enrique Mercado. Next of kin has been notified. TPD Homicide Detectives were called to the scene and continued the investigation.
Based on early findings, detectives believe Mr. Mercado was riding a bicycle with a large group along the river path when he encountered an unknown individual. A confrontation followed, resulting in Mr. Mercado sustaining injuries. Members of the group stopped to help the victim and called 9-1-1. The suspect was last seen running from the area.
The Loop is meant to be a safe place to ride your bicycle all around Pima County. It keeps bicyclists safe from traffic but not necessarily from people.
Even in the late morning heat you can find riders on the Loop.
But along the Loop you can also find people who apparently have no place to live except along the Loop or in the Rillito Riverbed. That’s increased concern about drug use, other crime, and violence.
We met a man who wanted to be identified simply as a concerned cyclist. He says he doesn't feel too unsafe but he stopped riding the Loop after dark.
“I have had a couple of uncomfortable times trying to get past people who you know, looked homeless. And this is not to say we don't need better social solutions to homeless people. Obviously we do, but I have had people sort of half passed out lying across the path, and people kind of, you know, be less than cooperative about getting out of the way.”
Now Tucson Police say someone killed Enrique Mercado, at night, on a section of the Loop roughly near Tucson Mall. He had been part of a group ride.
Angela Wakeham says she’s been riding the Loop 10 or 15 years. She says on this day she rode 22 miles.
“Occasionally, I do see drug users, but I've never had any incident that I would be alarmed about. And I cycle here quite often, but usually in the mornings, early, and I don't cycle at night.”
From August 2024 to last June, Pima County experimented with safety patrols on the Loop. County officials determined during the patrols, crime went down in some areas, up in other spots and was unchanged in other locations. They decided the benefits of the program did not justify the expense so they dropped it.
Anyone with information on the incident that killed Enrique Mercado is asked to call 88-CRIME.
