PHOENIX, Ariz. — Nearly three years after a brutal killing rocked the community, Cudjoe Young, 29, has been formally charged with the murder of Mercedes Vega, a 22-year-old exotic dancer found beaten, shot, and burned to death in 2023.
Vega was discovered in the backseat of a torched Chevy Malibu on the side of an Arizona interstate, with investigators revealing that bleach had been poured on her face and down her throat.
The tragedy occurred just days before Vega was scheduled to testify against Young in an armed robbery case stemming from an October 2020 incident. At that time, Vega identified Young as the masked gunman who robbed her at her Phoenix apartment building after her work shift.
In addition to murder, Young faces charges of kidnapping, arson, theft, and armed robbery with a deadly weapon. He is currently held without bond.
Two other strippers from the same club where Vega worked were also targeted in similar robberies linked to a suspect matching Young’s description. Young has pleaded not guilty to one of those robbery charges.
In November, Sencere Hayes, 22, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and additional related offenses. Hayes is held on a $4 million bond. Another suspect, Jared Gray, is also charged with murder and awaiting extradition from Georgia.
Young’s trial on the robbery charges was scheduled to begin this week but has been delayed after he fired his attorney and decided to represent himself.
Authorities continue to investigate the case as the community seeks justice for Mercedes Vega.
