An Orlando woman is facing four new felony charges following a fracas at an apartment complex that left several vehicles damaged and sent one resident retreating into her home. The investigation involved a masked suspect, an unexpected arrest, and a piece of evidence that ultimately proved difficult to hide behind.
Autumn Ashley Mercado, 36, was arrested November 11 in connection with the June 20 incident on PGA Boulevard in Orange County. The new charges include aggravated assault while wearing a mask and three counts of felony criminal mischief, with a combined listed bond of $12,500.
Deputies encountered Mercado on the evening of the disturbance, but witnesses could not reliably identify the woman responsible for the damage. Investigators recovered clothing and other evidence from an apartment that night, although nearly five months would pass before Mercado was arrested on the new warrants.
By November, Mercado’s legal imbroglio included an earlier conviction involving automobile damage and battery, a pending prosecution stemming from her confrontation with deputies, and three new felony cases arising from the June incident.
Parked Cars
Around 5:30 p.m. on June 20, a resident heard a commotion outside his apartment and stepped out to investigate. He encountered a woman wearing a black ski mask, pink gloves, gray sweatpants, and a light-colored shirt with black sleeves. She was swinging a metal pole at parked vehicles.
Another resident heard the disturbance and came outside to find the woman damaging cars, including her silver 2015 Nissan Rogue. When the masked woman noticed her, she approached with the pole, causing the resident to retreat toward her apartment.
The woman followed her to the door and began striking it and a nearby window. Part of the glass broke during the confrontation, and the resident told deputies the woman called her a “bitch.” She said she had never had problems with anyone at the apartment complex.
The damage extended beyond the broken window. The Nissan sustained dents and scratches to its front fender, passenger-side mirror, A-pillar, and door, with estimated repairs of $2,500. Damage to the apartment was estimated at another $1,500.
The owner of a white 2023 Mazda CX-5 also discovered both exterior mirrors broken, adding approximately $1,000 to the repair estimates.
The first witness recorded part of the disturbance on his phone, capturing the masked woman carrying a black bag. The recording did not show the actual property damage or confrontation with the neighbor.
He saw the woman remove her ski mask before entering a nearby apartment. Although he was too far away to identify her face reliably, he subsequently heard someone wearing the same clothing shouting at him through an apartment window.
Have We Met Before?
During the investigation, deputies identified Mercado and discovered an outstanding warrant for her arrest. She had failed to appear for trial five days earlier, on June 15, in a separate case involving battery and damage to another person’s automobile.
Detectives obtained a search warrant for Mercado’s apartment. Around 10 p.m., she came outside and was arrested on the outstanding warrant while investigators continued working to identify the masked woman.
Before transporting Mercado to jail, deputies attempted to search her. Deputy Brianna Feliciano reported that Mercado pulled away, shouted profanities, and refused to get out of the patrol vehicle when instructed.
Once deputies removed her, Mercado reportedly threw herself onto the ground and repeatedly dropped her weight, forcing officers to support her while attempting to complete the search. She also refused to release paperwork she was gripping, stiffened her legs, and continued pulling away.
When deputies attempted to return her to the patrol vehicle, Mercado began kicking. One kick struck Feliciano in the face, cutting the inside of her lip and causing bleeding. Mercado then allegedly began kicking the patrol vehicle’s door.
She was charged with battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting without violence, and resisting with violence. Prosecutors later took no action on the resisting-with-violence count, while the other two charges remained pending.
Task Failed Successfully
During their search of the apartment, detectives recovered gray sweatpants, a black ski mask, and a black-and-pink metal pole. The following day, investigators obtained a warrant to collect Mercado’s DNA and took cheek swabs at the Orange County Jail.
The evidence was submitted to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for examination. On October 13, a state laboratory analyst completed a comparison involving DNA recovered from the inside of the ski mask.
The sample contained a mixture of DNA, with Mercado included as a possible contributor. The laboratory reported that the results were more than 700 billion times more likely if Mercado and two unrelated individuals contributed to the sample than if three unrelated individuals had contributed.
Detective Timothy Epps used the laboratory findings, witness statements, and recovered evidence to obtain arrest warrants related to the June property damage and confrontation.
The ski mask that had prevented witnesses from identifying the suspect’s face had become a central piece of evidence in the investigation.
On November 11, deputies located Mercado in Orlando and arrested her without incident.
She’s Got a Type
The warrant that allowed deputies to arrest Mercado in June originated with an incident on December 10, 2025, when she was accused of damaging another person’s automobile and committing battery against its owner.
She was arrested in February 2026 but failed to appear for trial in June. Her case was eventually resolved on August 10, when she pleaded no contest to both offenses and was adjudicated guilty.
The court ordered $991.91 in restitution, probation, a letter of apology, anger management, and a cognitive behavioral change program.
Mercado also had an earlier conviction involving a confrontation with deputies.
In May 2021, Orange County deputies responded to InTown Suites on Presidents Drive after hotel employees reported an intoxicated guest causing a disturbance. Mercado had been staying at the hotel since April 27, and employees said other guests had complained about her behavior.
Deputies found her room in disarray, with belongings strewn across the floor, puddles of water, and an empty Hennessy bottle. Two men who identified themselves as her friends said Mercado had consumed an entire bottle of liquor and they had been unable to calm her.
When deputies knocked, Mercado answered the door naked, speaking with slurred speech and shouting incoherently. She eventually put on clothing but continued yelling, followed deputies down the hallway, and stood in an elevator doorway to prevent them from leaving.
Hotel management issued a trespass warning, but Mercado refused to leave and reportedly demanded that deputies pack her belongings.
When officers attempted to escort her out, she repeatedly dropped her weight, kicked Deputy Mariano Mendoza in the legs, and attempted to bite another deputy. The struggle required additional officers and medical personnel.
Mercado sustained a minor forehead abrasion and bloody nose during the struggle. Deputies placed a spit mask over her face because she continued shouting while bleeding, then transported her to a hospital for evaluation.
In February 2022, Mercado pleaded no contest to resisting an officer with violence and trespassing. She was adjudicated guilty on both charges.
Chasing the High Score
Mercado’s earlier criminal history also includes a 2013 DUI conviction and a 2022 felony cocaine possession conviction. Florida Department of Corrections records document additional criminal traffic cases involving driving with a suspended or revoked license and multiple probation-violation proceedings.
Her November 11 arrest added four felony charges across three new cases while the June battery-on-law-enforcement prosecution remained open.
In the case involving Deputy Feliciano, a pretrial conference was scheduled for November 19, followed by a November 30 trial.
The motive for the June property damage remains unknown. The resident whose Nissan and apartment were damaged told deputies she had never experienced problems with anyone at the complex.
All parties are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.