Mercedes Vega was a 22-year-old woman from Tempe, Arizona. On the night of April 16, 2023, surveillance video recorded her entering the parking garage at her apartment complex before she was due to meet friends. Investigators allege that she was assaulted and abducted there. Her car was later found elsewhere in Tempe, and she was found dead the next morning in a vehicle near Tonopah.
Sencere Hayes, Cudjoe Young, and Jared Demarcus Gray have been charged with first-degree murder and related offenses. Prosecutors allege that Vega was killed to prevent her from testifying in a separate robbery prosecution. Those assertions remain allegations: all three defendants have pleaded not guilty to the homicide charges, and none has been convicted of killing Vega. Current ABC15 reporting says the murder case is set for trial in 2027, a future setting that requires a docket refresh before publication.
Young's legal history must be kept separate from the pending murder case. In May 2026, a jury convicted him of armed robbery and attempted armed robbery arising from 2020 incidents involving Vega and a coworker. That verdict adjudicated the older robbery offenses only; it did not determine any defendant's guilt in Vega's death.
The case remains ongoing. This account avoids unnecessary medical and scene detail and attributes the alleged motive and participation to prosecutors or charging records. An official Maricopa County docket or operative filing should be added at the publication desk to confirm the three defendants' current charges and the 2027 setting.
Mercedes Vega was last recorded entering her Tempe apartment parking garage; investigators allege she was abducted there.
2023-04-17
Vega was found dead in a vehicle near Tonopah, Arizona.
2024-11-11
Sencere Hayes was arrested and charged in connection with Vega's death.
2025-06
Maricopa County authorities announced murder and related charges against Cudjoe Young and Jared Demarcus Gray.
2026-01-09
Gray was extradited to Arizona in the pending prosecution.
2026-05-27
A jury convicted Young of offenses arising from the separate 2020 armed-robbery case; the verdict did not adjudicate the murder charges.
2027
ABC15 reported that the three-defendant murder trial was scheduled for 2027, subject to further court action.
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Titles and descriptions are the creators’ own and may not reflect current legal status; see the dossier above for sourced case facts.
VIDEO
Annie Elise / 2 min
The Horrifying Murder Of Mercedes Vega
People
Cudjoe Young
CHARGED
Charged with first-degree murder and related offenses and has pleaded not guilty; separately convicted in May 2026 of offenses in an older armed-robbery case.
Sencere Hayes
CHARGED
Charged with first-degree murder and related offenses; he has pleaded not guilty and awaits trial.
Mercedes Vega
VICTIM
Twenty-two-year-old Tempe woman abducted and killed in April 2023.
Jared Demarcus Gray
CHARGED
Charged with first-degree murder and related offenses; he has pleaded not guilty and awaits trial.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Mercedes Vega was abducted from her Tempe apartment complex and killed in April 2023; three men have pleaded not guilty to charges in her death, and the prosecution remained pending in July 2026.
