Inset: Adam Mercado (Mecklenburg County Sheriff”s Office). Background: The 1100 block of Central Avenue in Charlotte, North Carolina (Google Maps).
In a harrowing incident that unfolded on a bustling street in Charlotte, North Carolina, a man was allegedly stabbed and robbed, with the attacker making off with the victim’s car and other possessions. The suspect, identified as 34-year-old Adam Mercado, now faces serious charges, including first-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon, as detailed in Mecklenburg County court records.
The violent confrontation took place on a Thursday afternoon, around 2 p.m., when a man reportedly wearing a blue shirt and orange gloves drove up in a brown Hyundai Sonata to a building on Central Avenue, according to a criminal affidavit examined by Law&Crime. This man is believed to be Mercado.
The affidavit narrates the chilling sequence of events that followed. Mercado allegedly approached 68-year-old Gerald Barnes, engaging him in conversation before attempting to show Barnes something inside his backpack. As Barnes peered into the bag, the situation took a tragic turn.
According to the court documents, Mercado then attacked, stabbing Barnes in the neck and demanding his car keys. Despite Barnes complying, the assault continued, with Mercado allegedly stabbing him multiple times as Barnes fell to the ground. The attacker then rifled through the victim’s pockets, taking his wallet before fleeing the scene.
The suspect sees the victim, 68-year-old Gerald Barnes, talks to him, and then “attempts to show the victim an item in his bookbag,” the court document alleges, citing video footage. When Barnes looks into the bag, the violence begins.
“The male stabs him in the neck and then demands that he surrender his car keys,” the affidavit reads. “The victim surrenders his car keys and the male stabs him several more times as the victim falls to the ground. The male then goes through the victim’s pockets and takes his wallet.”
Mercado allegedly proceeded to hop into Barnes’ Honda Fit and drive the vehicle over to the Sonata in which he arrived. “The male loads items into the Fit and then drives away,” authorities said.
Law enforcement officers arrived at the building where Barnes was stabbed and found him “suffering from multiple stab wounds.”
The victim would be pronounced dead later that night. Detectives began investigating — searching for the Honda fit.
Mercado has also been implicated in other deaths, authorities said.
On Friday, officers were called to do a welfare check on a home on the 2600 block of Nelda Drive in Monroe, just 28 miles southeast of Charlotte.
There, Matthew Moody, 52, and James Wallace, 49, were found dead.
Mercado was later charged with those two murders as well, according to a press release issued by the Monroe Police Department.
