I first encountered the woman on a spring morning in Hipódromo, a neighborhood in Mexico City inhabited largely by young professionals and expatriates. She might have been mistaken for a backpacker at first glance, with her giant battered rucksack and crew-cut hair. Upon closer look, however, there was something “off” about her presence — the aggressive stance, the torn and dirty clothing, the angry muttering and gesticulating wildly. Her freckles and red hair, cut military-short, implied she was a non-Mexican, though she moved through the streets as if she owned them.
As I passed her, I averted my eyes and crossed to the opposite sidewalk, joining other passersby in careful avoidance. Over the next several months, from time to time I would spot her again in Condesa or Roma Norte. Each time, I found myself wondering about her story — who she was, where she came from, how she had ended up here. She seemed dangerous, baring her teeth or laughing hysterically to herself, sometimes brandishing a glinting sharp object. As I moved on with my day, my curiosity would fade as her presence was relegated to the background of busy errands around town.
A viral video
Gracias a la denuncia que nos hicieron nuestras vecinas y vecinos, la policía del sector logró la detención de una persona que portaba un arma y que ponía en peligro la vida de quienes viven en Cuauhtémoc.
Si la reconoces denúnciala. #BlindarCuauhtémoc pic.twitter.com/X9ORcCKblr
— Alessandra Rojo de la Vega (@AlessandraRdlv) December 19, 2024
It wasn’t until several weeks later that Mariah Markus, as I later learned she was named, once again entered my radar: this time via a series of alarmed messages in various WhatsApp groups. Immersed in writing an article one afternoon in mid-December, I became irritated by the constant vibrations of my phone. My WhatsApp channels were blowing up with cautionary messages and a forwarded recent clip of the woman throwing a heavy rock at someone outside of the video frame and flashing a glinting knife while screaming. A message in Spanish accompanying the video read “Neighbors, be very careful with this crazy person. She has a knife, attacks people, throws stones, and is wandering around Vicente Suárez and Tula, the sidewalk on Mazatlán, and the area around Walmart. Be cautious!”
The digital grapevine quickly transformed into a forum for concerned residents sharing their personal experiences encountering the woman and theories about her origins. The messages, alternating between Spanish and English, painted a portrait of mounting concern in these typically peaceful neighborhoods. A woman named Ali, one of the group members, reported “Apparently the police have been called several times, [Mariah has] been detained and then released. [T]he US embassy has been notified.”
Taylor, another resident, added to the growing narrative: “She is outside my apartment building most mornings and throughout the day. Where the Green Corner is on the corner of Mazatlan/Fernando Montes de Oca. Very concerning, I see her almost every day.”
“We have to do something!” added a woman named Daniela, in another WhatsApp group.
An American woman named Sara chimed in with a recent sighting “I just saw her in the middle of the street probing a manhole cover while traffic whizzed past.”
Amidst the buzz of fear and speculation in the chats, several women expressed sympathy and concern for Mariah. Carla, a Mexican resident, wrote: “Is very very sad her situation, she must have been abused several times, I had seen her all beaten. I hope that soon she receives help, for her sake and others 😞” Carla’s words sparked new discussions about mental health support systems available for expats and the homeless in Mexico.
Despite some compassionate inputs, underneath the surface of several messages and comments on social media lurked an unmistakable strain of xenophobia, particularly among some Mexican participants who called for Mariah’s deportation. “Deport the American woman now!” demanded one particularly vocal member. Other posts on social media showing videos of Mariah sarcastically referred to her presence as “Gentrification.”
As the video of Mariah’s most recent activities continued its viral journey, appearing in nearly every WhatsApp channel, the community’s response crystallized into action. A dedicated WhatsApp group titled “Police Report” materialized, attracting 148 members within hours of its creation.
Crowdsourcing Mariah’s story
Little by little as more facts and information were shared in the various chats, a clearer picture of Mariah Markus began to emerge. A woman connected with the U.S. Embassy revealed Mariah’s full name, while others dropped articles from Mexican publications reporting on her previous arrests. Videos surfaced showing her confrontational behavior, including footage of her standing in traffic, shouting at passing drivers.
But it was her LinkedIn profile, shared by another group member, that revealed the most startling contrast. The profile painted an unexpected portrait: Mariah was 33, a Colorado native, and a graphic designer with her own portfolio website. Her background included computer science studies and a four-year service in the Colorado Air National Guard. The profile listed an impressive thirty honors and awards, including professional fighting titles, though their authenticity remained unverified.
Most unsettling were the four articles she had written on LinkedIn, which revealed not only her past as a victim of abuse, but also a troubled history marked by multiple suicide attempts. The professional facade of her online presence stood in contrast to her current situation, serving as a haunting reminder of the precariousness of mental states — and how quickly circumstances can unravel without proper support.
The situation caught the attention of local politician Alessandra Rojo de la Vega, the mayor of Cuauhtémoc, who used her social media platforms to provide updates and call for firsthand accounts from affected residents, citing a need for concrete evidence in order to support deportation proceedings. It appeared that, on numerous occasions in the past, Mariah had been detained and released by authorities due to a lack of evidence needed for resolution.
Within less than two days of the initial buzz on community groups and social media, COPACO Hipódromo Condesa (a community-based organization) reported that Mariah had finally been successfully deported back to the United States.
Crossing borders, carrying burdens
Mariah’s story serves as a sobering reminder to many in Mexico City’s expat community. Her descent from a young professional to a person in crisis on the streets of a foreign city represents a dark inversion of the American Dream, played out against the backdrop of Mexico’s capital. It raises questions about mental health support, community responsibility, and xenophobia in a city that attracts foreigners seeking new beginnings.
In the end, Mariah Markus’s story serves as a reminder that the promise of a fresh start in a new country cannot mask deeper, unresolved troubles that no change of scenery can cure.
Typo: “Crossing borders, carrying brdens”
I didnt get any free articles after all. Don’t pressure me to subscribe. Won’t read your news any more.
Not sure why locking people up with mental health problems is so morally wrong, I would not want to be on the street unsupported,homeless and a danger to myself/others if I was in that position. I would hope family or friends even work colleague s would encourage mental health professionals to intravene on my behalf.
People often refer to Ronald Reagan “turning out the inmates from the asylums” when discussing . Actually the Libertarians, ACLU and others sued, and Reagan agreed, because involuntary commitment for those who were deemed “crazy” — but had not harmed anyone, even themselves — was being abused, and state-run facilities were often Dickensian hellholes.
Good intentions, but a bit , because it is now difficult to intervene with the many incapacitated homeless.
Escape from East Hastings, Vancouver or Possibly Portland OR.
Keeps saying I’ve read too many articles this month. And I haven’t read all of any of them. Very frustrating
You seem a bit stressed out. Have you considered Japanese ‘Sepukko’? Cheers from Acapulco!
Shocking story with a sad ending. Hopefully Mariah will get the mental health support she needs. Grateful the residents of this neighborhood can feel more secure, too
Such an incredibly sad story. Mariah obviously was multi-talented. Educated, a poet, military trained, physically fit, and entrepreneurial. From the outside looking in, she would appear to have done everything “right”, and “had it all” going for her. I am curious as to what happened to bring on her mental trauma. It’s unfortunate how few resources are dedicated to mental health. It is my hope that once back in the US she sought out the help she needs. Sadly, the reality is that she is likely on the streets or deceased.
Advocating for a dangerous person in a country illegally who is doing harm to the community isn’t xenophobia, it’s common sense.
The author of this article is clearly super privileged and ideologically captured.
This woman pulled out knives on old women and children, stabbed someone’s dog, and broke a woman’s teeth with a metal rod.
People who commit crimes in their own country should go to jail. People who commit crimes in other peoples countries should go to jail and then be deported.
Any other stance taken on the issue is not only irresponsible and out of touch, but is one where someone gets to maintain their warped and privileged point of view at the expense of people with less resources who get hurt by the lack of action being taken to keep them safe.
Mariah Markus needs to be in jail, period. Within jail they have sections for people with mental health issues. Don’t like what I have to say? Too bad. Keep your privileged and smug point of view, and feel feee to continue to do so at the expense of the less fortunate than yourself
Advocating for *the deportation of* a dangerous person in a country illegally who is doing harm to the community isn’t xenophobia, it’s common sense.
Wonderful. Yes, jails do a stellar job with mental health issues, just as they do with rehabilitation. LOL
Not all mentally ill people are violent. The ones who are require accountability. You can’t have it both ways. If you give someone like Mariah special protections and privileges, you’re doing so at the expense of the safety of her victims.
Violent people need to be in institutions. Period. Not on the streets. You can put her on meds, and get her to meet with a therapist. But if she becomes violent every time she gets off her meds, then any time she goes off them (which is common with schizophrenics), another innocent person gets hurt.
If you believe that she won’t get violent every time she goes off of her meds, then you’re admitting that her violent tendencies and mental health issues aren’t related, in which case she needs to be processed like any other violent offender regardless of her mental state.
Look I know that in privilege-land you can live in an insulated fantasy world where you get to have it both ways. But when you’re like the rest of us, You have to deal with tough decisions.
It’s a tragedy the state this woman is in. Doesn’t change the fact that she is violent, dangerous, and harmful to the public.
Well said
Violent people are put in jail to protect the public from harm. Obviously, a mental health facility would be the next step in an ideal world