Trial Delayed Again for Suspect in Gunpoint Mercedes Vega Heist, Now Facing 16th Setback

Mercedes Vega had identified Cudjoe Young as her attacker just before she was murdered. Young, accused of robbing Vega at gunpoint two years prior, appeared in Maricopa County Superior Court on Wednesday. The hearing, initially planned as his final pre-trial conference, was postponed to next month, pushing the trial date to at least the end of April.

In October 2020, Young allegedly followed Vega home from work, committing an armed robbery. He has also faced charges of attempting to rob a co-worker of Vega’s shortly after. Vega had linked Young to the robbery through a photo lineup and shared digital evidence that aided law enforcement efforts.

Judge Mark Brain noted a staggering sixteen continuances in the case, which stretches nearly four and a half years. Young has cycled through several attorneys, with one withdrawing just days after Vega’s murder.

“I can’t believe that this coward continues to do this,” commented Erika Pillsbury, Vega’s mother. She and her husband, Tom, attended the hearing only to see it delayed, expressing frustration with a system they perceive as favoring alleged criminals over victims.

The situation escalated dramatically when, in April 2023, Vega was kidnapped, tortured, and found deceased in a burning vehicle off the I-10 freeway. A recording obtained by the 12News I-Team subsequently linked Young to her murder.

In November 2024, Sencere Hayes of Tennessee was arrested in connection with Vega’s death. Investigators revealed that an associate of Young had used a fake name to purchase the car where Vega’s body was discovered. Furthermore, a credit card associated with another individual linked to Young was used to buy a flight for Hayes from Tennessee to Arizona.

“They’re linked. That’s my frustration,” Tom Pillsbury stated. “You put two and two together.” The Pillsburys are grappling with their loss while observing that the judicial process moves on without resolution for their daughter.

Young’s attorney declined to make statements after the hearing. The next pre-trial conference is on April 22, with the trial set for April 29. Meanwhile, Hayes’s next court appearance is scheduled for April 15. Vega’s family urges the public to support them by attending that hearing in remembrance of their daughter and awareness of the plight of other missing and murdered women in Arizona.