PHOENIX — Prosecutors in Maricopa County are seeking the death penalty against the two men suspected of murdering Mercedes Vega in 2023.

Both 23-year-old Sencere Hayes and 29-year-old Cudjoe Young are facing charges of first-degree murder and other felony offenses, according to a Wednesday announcement from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

Vega’s body was found in a burning vehicle on I‑10 near Tonopah on April 17, 2023, while her own car was later located across the Valley near Mill Avenue.

Hayes was arrested in Hamilton County, Tennessee, on Nov. 11, 2024, about 18 months after Vega’s death.

What is known about Mercedes Vega murder investigation?

Vega, who was 22 when she died, lived in Tempe.

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