Man arrested in fatal stabbing of Tucson bicyclist

A 26-year-old man is jailed in a deadly confrontation on The Loop late last month that shook Tucson’s bicycling community, police say.

On Wednesday, Michael Francisco was apprehended and arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of Enrique Mercado.

His bond was set at $1 million.

“I’m more angry than sad,” Paris Mercado said about the arrest and the new details provided in court records outlining an apparent altercation that took place just prior to the killing of her father.

“My dad never yelled at me. He wasn’t that person unless he needed to be,” Mercado said Thursday.

Mercado said witnesses told her Francisco had been “throwing things” at the group of dozens of riders before her father got off his bicycle to confront him.

“If that guy swung at my dad, my dad would have swung back. He’s not the type of person to initiate it, but he’s the type of person to defend his friends and family.”

The incident

Tucson Police were called about 8:15 p.m. Sept. 23, to a section of the path that runs behind a Walmart shopping center on East Wetmore Road, following an altercation.

Bicyclists said they encountered a man, later identified as Francisco, in the middle of the pathway. At some point, Mercado got off of his bicycle and the men had an altercation.

Witnesses said the two “tried to punch” each other.

Mercado got back onto his bicycle and rode on for several feet before realizing he’d been stabbed in the left side of his torso.

Cyclists stopped to provide Mercado with first aid. He died later at the hospital.

Police said the suspected stabber and several others ran into a nearby wash.

In the days that followed, witnesses contacted police and reported seeing a knife in Francisco’s hand and said they watched him “thrust the knife” at Mercado, according to an interim complaint filed in Pima County Justice Court.

Other witnesses identified Francisco as the man police were looking for, but he was nowhere to be found, police said.

That changed Wednesday morning.

Detectives were sent a photograph of Francisco, who was identified by the sender as the man involved in Mercado’s killing. They received additional information that Francisco was seen on North Stone Avenue near the Tohono Tadai Transit Center, not far from where the deadly stabbing occurred.

Police said Francisco jumped into a wash from a 40-foot bridge as soon as he spotted the police officers.

Officers ran after Francisco as the police air unit followed along.

After being chased down, Francisco was taken to the hospital to treat injuries suffered in the chase. He was also arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault after police say he tried to head-butt an officer and knee him in the face. The officer was not injured.

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Social media tips, wrong information

As eager as Paris Mercado was to see someone arrested for her dad’s slaying, a bevy of bicyclist supporters seemed to be even more determined to put someone behind bars.

With more than 100 people on scene the evening of the stabbing, including people who were not part of the group ride, a variety of accounts were shared. Comments, questions and speculation ran rampant on social media. That included AI images of what the alleged suspect “could” look like being shared.

There was false information claims circulated about the attacker being arrested.

“It’s frustrating,” Mercado said. “People are trying to be helpful and everyone has good intentions, but when all I can do is get information from Facebook, and it’s wrong, it gets very frustrating and gives me anxiety. It’s like a big waiting game.”

Tucson police, eager to set the story straight, must deal with these false rumors without destroying their case.

“We are aware of an AI-generated image circulating that falsely claims to depict the suspect’s face,” they said, addressing a highly circulated image. “This image is completely fabricated, and is not part of the investigation.”

That said, after the arrest, police thanked the community and witnesses who came forward with information that led to an arrest.

“As for the community’s involvement, we can mention that our homicide solve rate has consistently been in the 90-percent range — way above the national average — and our non-fatal, skin-piercing shooting solve rate is currently at 84-percent,” TPD said in a statement to Star. “These numbers are achievable thanks in part to a community that speaks up and shares information with police.”

‘I hope this is an eye-opener’

As a member of the Tucson Off Road Cyclist and Activists (TORCA), Enrique Mercado helped clean trails in his free time to help keep them safe and rideable for everyone.

Now, his daughter hopes to keep his legacy going.

“Nothing is ever going to bring back my dad or heal my broken heart,” she said Thursday. “But at the very least, I hope what comes out of this is that my brother and I can ride without fear of getting killed or being put in danger.”

“And that goes for the people on the street, too. We need better help, better outreach programs. Things definitely need to be put in place.”

“I hope this is an eye opener for the mayor and city leaders to implement change and focus. It feels like we’ve been shouting for years and years. People need to take this seriously and make a change. That’s the only good that can come out of this.”

Meanwhile, the Mercado family waits as the wheels of justice begin to turn.

They are uncertain where to start or how the case will end.

But Mercado said she is glad there’s been an arrest.

“As long as he’s not able to do it to other people, I’m glad,” she said.

“But, they always work out deals. I just hope justice will be served and he won’t just be arrested and released.”