MARICOPA COUNTY, AZ — The man now convicted of robbing Mercedes Vega, years before her murder, will be sentenced Friday.
In May, a jury found Cudjoe Young guilty in the case involving Vega and another attempted armed robbery.
ROBBERY CASES
Both cases were from 2020, and the second victim danced at the same club as Vega.
Vega’s family said the 22-year-old was preparing to be in court when she was found murdered in April 2023.
Court records say Vega picked Young out of a photo lineup before her murder.
Body camera video of Vega speaking to police just after the robbery was played in court.
On May 26, Young was convicted on all charges.
“It’s been six years, and justice is finally coming,” said Vega’s mom Erika Pillsbury outside of court.
“Waiting six years was a long time, but to see the verdict, to see other people see what we’ve always known, it was very overwhelming,” said Vega’s dad Tom Pillsbury.
Young will be sentenced on Friday afternoon.
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VEGA’S MURDER
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office believes Vega was taken from her Tempe apartment parking garage. She was later found in a burning Chevy Malibu off I-10 near Tonopah.
The medical examiner’s report said the 22-year-old had blunt force injuries, was shot in the arm, and found with bleach in her throat.
Young is now one of three charged with Vega’s murder.
Vega’s parents told ABC15 the robbery prompted their daughter to move to that new apartment in Tempe.
Prosecutors filed a motion to seek the death penalty against Young and his codefendant, Sencere Hayes. Their filings for both Young and Hayes included an aggravating factor that alleges Vega was killed, possibly to prevent her testimony.
“The defendant committed the offense to prevent Victim M. Vega’s cooperation with an official law enforcement investigation, to prevent her testimony in a court proceeding, or in retaliation for her cooperation with an official law enforcement investigation,” says the court filing.
In May, ABC15 also learned prosecutors would not be seeking the death penalty against the third defendant, Jared Gray.
The murder case is currently set to go to trial in 2027.
ABC15 has featured Vega’s case in our streaming series Arizona Crime Uncovered.
