http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/128733

Published: 05.11.2006

Police identify homeless man found beaten to death on South Side
By Becky Pallack
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
A man who was beaten to death on the South Side has been identified as a 54-year-old homeless military veteran, police said Thursday.
Jerry Wayne “Gizmo” Walding was found dead behind a hardware store at 2185 E. Irvington Road, near South Campbell Avenue, on Tuesday.
Detectives have finished their homicide investigation, but need the public’s help to find the victim’s family, police said. Walding is believed to be from Texas but had been living at various locations in Tucson for about 14 years, said Sgt. Mark Robinson, a Tucson Police Department spokesman.
Walding had a dispute with Tranquilino Hernandez, 23, that morning, Robinson said. A second confrontation turned physical just before noon.
Hernandez hit Walding with a large rock, causing head injuries that led to his death, Robinson said. Police would not say what the fight concerned.
Hernandez, a Mexico citizen, was arrested soon after the fight, in a wash near South Campbell Avenue and East Benson Highway. He was booked into the Pima County jail on one count of second-degree murder. His bond is $250,000.
Anyone with information about Walding’s family is asked to call 911 or 88-CRIME, the anonymous tip line of the