Woman Found Dead in Burning Car with Bleach in Her Throat

this time of year is overwhelming but. getting the information that someone's. been arrested in her. murder uh was almost as overwhelming as. um finding out that she was gone police. in Arizona say they expect to make more. arrests in the case of a young woman who. was kidnapped tortured and left in a. burning car on the side of a highway and. as the case picks up momentum there have. been a number of strange twists and. turns I'm going to sit down with the. victim's parents to find out more about.

her and the latest progress in the case. welcome to sidebar presented by law and. crime I'm Jesse. Weber it has been more than a year since. the horrific discovery of Mercedes. Vega's body outside of Phoenix Arizona. she was last seen alive on surveillance. video in April of 2023 leaving her. apartment complex in tempy and walking. to her car authorities believe the. 22-year-old exotic dancer was attacked.

just outside of the frame of the video. blood was found on the parking garage. floor and her car was later found. abandoned and after midnight 911 phone. call came in about a car on fire on the. side of I 10 uh it was like down in the. bushes but I saw a plane inside vehicle. okay see they're on the westbound by. 10. yes yeah just just north of the. highway I don't really know what it is. it I couldn't tell you okay unknown.

vehicle okay anyone you said there's. people outside the. vehicle I believe I saw at least one. person outside yes and Mercedes autopsy. report reveals the horrific torture she. suffered before she died she was shot in. the arm she was hit in the head and she. had bleach in her throat bleach poured. on her face and the car that she was. found in was set on fire and the medical. examiner determined that on top of all. of her other injuries her C cause of.

death was contributed to smoke. inhalation and burns now who would have. done this well the Maricopa County. Sheriff's Office announced that they. arrested 22-year-old sincere Hayes. nearly 2,000 miles away in Tennessee in. connection with Mercedes murder he was. arrested and he was charged with. first-degree murder he's going to be. extradited back to Arizona online court. record show Hayes was arrested twice in. the past year once in May again in June. he's facing charges of DUI reckless. driving possession of a hand gun while.

Under the Influence theft of property. Hayes was also facing charges out of. Alabama in 2021 for receiving stolen. property in possession of marijuana and. that case ended up being dismissed just. days before Mercedes was killed because. of accusations against a deputy that was. involved in the case but no clear reason. about why this might have happened or. why he might have done this by the way. as you can see the content that we're. covering here on sidebar shows that the. world is just not a safe place it is.

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have to talk about and that's how in. October of 2020 Mercedes was a victim. again she was the victim of an armed. robbery in Phoenix when she was just 19. years old HUD Joe Young was accused of. targeting women who worked at a. gentleman's club following them home. holding them at gunpoint and demanding. that they give him money and Mercedes. picked the suspect out of a photo lineup. wrote a victim impact statement to the. court and because of that as you can. imagine young was investigated as a. possible suspect ECT in Mercedes murder.

because he was not locked up at the time. but he did have an ankle monitor this is. according to the Maricopa County. Sheriff's office by the way Young's. armed robbery case it's been delayed. several times and in a court hearing. last month his latest attorney told the. judge that a plea deal could be in the. works if something isn't hammered out by. January though young will go to trial. and in a bizarre connection it is. reported that young is from the same. area in Tennessee as sere Hayes. Chattanooga.

so far though the sheriff's office has. not commented on any connection between. the robbery case and the murder case but. that is a strange kind of coincidence if. that's what it is now investigators told. family members that more arrests could. be coming Mercedes family and friends. they have been fighting for justice in. her case from the very beginning. according to her obituary Mercedes was. successful at everything she set out to. do she did not apologize for who she was. and yet she was always uplifting and. encouraging those around her so to talk.

more about this I actually have two. special guests with me I joined by Erica. and Tom Pillsbury this is a Mercedes. Vegas mother and stepfather first of all. thank you so much for coming on um I. know this is never easy talking about. this and I just want to say I am so. sorry for your loss and I'm so sorry for. what you and the family are going. through what you have gone through I. really just want to start with h how are. you both doing right now it's a it's. over overwhelming I mean it was.

overwhelming last year at this time of. year this time of year is overwhelming. but getting the information that. someone's been arrested in her. murder uh was almost as overwhelming as. um finding out that she was gone um but. now I've got some other emotions woven. in there some happy memories and some. hope because for uh 19 months we really. had no hope yeah it's been really. strange because we had the day that they.

showed up at night time which was the. worst day because we were out of the. country and then to have that F over 500. Days Later to have one call you it's. like you're happy you're sad you're. angry you're frustrated you know we. don't have the answers why um but it was. like completely devastating to you know. not ever thinking that this was ever. going to get solved um because I felt. the longer it went on on um without.

someone being arrested the farther the. evidence would not be there what what. what were police telling you during this. time um from the very beginning they. really didn't tell us much um when they. first came to the door the very first. time they only asked us four questions. they asked us if Mercedes was right or. left-handed where she actually lived if. she had any reason to be near tonapa. Arizona owna and if she owned a.

gun and then they told us she was dead. and they didn't tell us anything else. yeah we fig I figured out that what. happened to her by Googling tonapa. Arizona that's how you found out yep. because I mean I know you're not in. Arizona but tonapa is the middle of. nowhere it's heading towards La it's. basically where she's found was found. there's not another rest St for 50. miles um so she was in the middle of. nowhere so.

my daughter disappeared in that area. there's a car on the side of the road. with someone burning in it it just I put. the pro you know I put it together um it. was it just they weren't very. forthcoming with information they've. never been forthcoming with information. we've had to find out information from. the media um we've found out information. from Twitter um and I don't know if. you've seen it but the video of my. daughter walking out of her apartment. they knew that was out there and it was.

out there and we didn't find it from. them we found it on Twitter someone sent. it to us they admitted that they should. have told us but they didn't tell. us I was going to ask you what their. explanation was. none we can't tell you information cuz. we my my her other siblings did a lot of. digging yeah and we had we started my. wife especially started piecing things. together and kind of so we would would. ask the questions with like knowing what.

we wanted to hear and he'd say I can't. tell you that right now I can't tell you. right that now there will be a day I can. tell you everything but we never got. information it was very vague we got a. lot of secondhand information from the. media do you have any idea about why. this might have happened do you know who. this suspect is any idea well we know. that she was the victim of armed robbery. in. 2020 uh um and that uh he had followed.

her home I believe from work or was. waiting there had known who she was um. and she didn't really know who he was. but he had been watching her and just to. be clear you're talking about kjo young. right. the Jo yeah yeah Kujo young he um had. followed her or was waiting for her when. she pulled in uh and uh held her up. threw her down on the ground.

forced her told her he was going to kill. her um held her a gunpoint um made her. open her phone uh give uh him her car. keys her purse uh and um and told her he. was going to kill her and she never ever. went back to that apartment again um she. ran to the neighbor called. 911 uh they came and he is just now. well he's facing those charges but we.

were hoping he's going to come to a a. plea agreement um around the 18th of. December we're we're hoping we're giving. him till that time and then if he. doesn't make one by then we we'll go to. trial the strange coincidence in this. whole thing is the gentleman that is. under arrest they both lived in the same. county yep they lived 12 miles apart my. wife looked it up any any other. connection between the two of them that. you know of looks like they have the. same hairdresser but other than that um.

from what we've been told that the. person that is in custody now um didn't. really do social media because I thought. for sure that you would see something. with these two together and some kind of. social media thing out like out on the. town or whatever um from what I've heard. there's been nothing that can link them. together so far so far but it just seems. very odd that they lived in the exact. same county because of course Mercedes. was instrumental in Young's detention.

and prose yes she was she had identified. him in a lineup um and she was planning. on being at the trial she had a. statement she had written out she. planned on. testifying um she pointed him out the. fourth or fifth time he got arrested he. had come into her work she pointed him. out and that's what got him. arrested um so she was very instrumental. and working very closely with law.

enforcement to try to get him to pay for. for what he had done I mean he he. terrified her as far as Mercedes death. investigators haven't you know given you. an indication about what the motive. might have been or have they even. indicated what evidence LED them to this. suspect no all we've seen so far is uh. just they're transferring. s back from uh Tennessee to Arizona on.

first-degree murder charges um at all so. Etc you know including um many other. charges uh and kind of indicated that he. is the one who actually killed her um. but didn't say those specific words his. exact words was he's a he was a main. player in this happening as of evidence. um we have suggested evidence like video. cameras because of where she lived there. was cameras in and out of the place.

where the tram runs across from her. place there was evidence um they have. just not given us out they never. questioned us like we were. suspects um they never brought us down. for questioning um it took over a year. for them to even open up the Silent. Witness to try to get people to be. involved it just seemed like it that she. didn't matter um and we got some advice. from uh a family member to kind of let. cuz we figured it' be solved real quick.

so we backed off for the first four. almost six months and then my wife said. I'm done being quiet and that's when it. started to grow and then her friends. started getting involved and so on so we. put a lot of pressure on them we marched. to the to their building and said we. want Justice for her and that was the. very first time the sheriff spoke and he. didn't speak to us he did a statement to. the. news so we've been very hush hush on. everything they've given us I'm sorry. sorry you're not the fir you're not the.

uh you're not the only family members. I've spoken to where they've experienced. something very similar about kind of. being kept in the dark it's uh you know. look I'm an attorney I get it I. understand on one hand you know there's. a sensitive investigation you don't want. to reveal too much but to not give the. family any kind of insight about what's. happening is incredibly distressing and. uh frustrating and I'm so sorry has the. prosecution have the prosecutors reached. out to you at all told you what the next. steps are maybe you uh the prosecutor in.

the case of the Armed robber yes but not. but not with sincer uh not with s but I. I don't know if they even know who's. going to be prosecuting him at this. moment uh he's not even here in Arizona. he's um I mean he did sign a paper. agreeing to come to Arizona so um that's. all we have on him right now we don't. have any evidence or um when it comes to. her burglary the prosecutor's been. helpful. um in you know communicative and we do.

have a victim's Advocate but for the. longest time because no one has been. charged with her murder we have had no. resource uh for any help whatsoever uh. due to her murder because there was no. one. charged and to be clear are they giving. you an indication law enforcement that. more rests could be coming I mean by. saying he's a main player you know yes. so they said that um they've they have.

him and then they have someone also. who's in custody already on another. charge that will be charged and that we. believe there's two probably two if not. three other people involved well there's. video surveillance of her car being. dropped off and there's V so that is the. one thing that they did give me the. information because I wanted to know. they took my daughter's car from her. place and drove to M Avenue which is. maybe 10 minutes it didn't go anywhere.

else her car was dropped off two. individuals got out of her car and got. into the car that she was ultimately. found in so right there puts three. people because that person driving the. car and the two that were in the car um. you know where did she go for two hours. when they took her from her place. because to drive from her place to where. she found is an hour and she was taken. at 9:15 and not found till basically. 1:00 in the morning so we know that. there's more people just based off of.

knowing that that car was dropped off. that this was not a oneperson job. because her car had to be taken. someplace and then someone had to pick. them up in another car um because they. didn't drive her car out and then drop. it off they got rid of her car. immediately I I'm hoping you get those. answers because you need those answers. about what. happened it's really really eerie and. strange um but now that you're seeing an. arrest maybe things will happen more. rapidly um I was hoping you could tell. do you remember the last time you spoke.

with. Mercedes yeah um so we were actually out. on a cruise for my birthday we were um. on the Virgin Cruise Lines out in the. middle of the Caribbean Ocean and um we. were we were texting back and forth and. I said oh my gosh Mercedes you would. love it on this Cruise it's so bougie. you know he's in her lingo and she said. FaceTime me.

and um and I tried and it wouldn't go. through and the very last thing that I. said to her was I tried and those were. the last words she heard from me. um I saw her the week before we left so. when Mercedes needed things like or she. was sick we would bring her food or. whatever medicine um she needed me to. come down and look at her car and put. some lights in her car um so I got to. see her the last time you know literally.

like days before we left I didn't. actually text her with that was they. were texting because it was her birthday. but I did talk to her and she's like. telling me how much she appreciated me. and telling us to have a good time and. that she loved me and um it hurts. because that was the very last time that. I got to see her but I can say that I. got to tell her I did love her um and. then when I got back it was just. complete. Devastation I I I wanted to bring it. back to her because she sounds like an. incredible person and I wanted you both.

have the platform to explain you know. what was she like um what was she like. as a daughter um what was she like as a. person um if you could just explain to. our viewers and our listeners who. Mercedes Vega was. like uh I she was born extremely fast. she I was in labor with her for I think. six minutes uh she came out ready to be. in the world and um she quickly. established that she was there she.

thought she was a little adult first. time she went to uh child care she was. they were told to pick up toys and um I. asked you know how she did and they said. she did great until it was time to clean. up and well Mercedes why didn't you help. clean up and she said oh Mom she was. talking to the kids and I was like you. are one of the kids and she am she just. thought she was such a grownup but she. was so good at everything she tried. um I mean she rode horses she played the.

violin she was an incredible straight A. student um she wanted to go to Harvard. she um she loved to travel she loved her. family she loved. Christmas um and uh she used to watch. the babies in the child care uh they. gave her special permission at um at. church because she was only eight and. they needed to be I think 10 to be in. the baby room but they called her the.

baby Whisperer so they let her come in. there because she could put them all to. sleep and she just she wanted to be a. mom um as she was getting older she was. ready to open her own gym that was her. plan she was a HealthNet um she worked. out six days a week she spent one day. that she would go out and do things with. her friends that happened to be the day. that her life was taken as the day that. she was going to meet friends at uh Dave. and Busters to play games yeah she was a. very smart child um one of the stories.

that resonates with us is when she was. seven um she decided to do a PowerPoint. presentation why we should take her to. Disney. World um so she sat us down and showed. us this is why you should take us to. Disney World I mean this is at seven. years old she used the same tactic when. she was turning 16 well well before you. tell me that did did it work did you did. you yeah it work it work all. right yeah her and all of her siblings.

got to go to Disney World got to be with. all the princesses even though she. doesn't like to say that she did that. she did I stood in line at every single. princess so her and her younger sister. could get pictures and then when she. turned 16 she did the same thing she did. another PowerPoint presentation to us. for her first tattoo and she used a. Bible verse that my wife would say to. her when she was little she wouldn't go. to sleep unless Erica read this Bible.

verse to her and um so she put that I. want this on there in your handwriting. so how are you going to say no to that. um she just would she knew what she. wanted um she had to figure it out on. her own she didn't like to be told what. to do um like example in school she had. Straight A's but then when she got in. high school it just it didn't really it. didn't interest her yeah she would pass. every test with an A but she wouldn't do. a single homework yeah she wouldn't do. the homework and she just she wanted to.

figure things out on her own she didn't. want someone to say you should do this. to get to here this and that's why she. danced twice a week because it was easy. money and she could do what she wanted. to do even though she knew that we. didn't approve of what she did but we. had to accept it because she's our. daughter um but she had other dreams and. and other things she and goals in life. um she knew and I knew from a young age. that she could do whatever she wanted to. do. um she just her friends her friends said.

that she was like their their mom. because she just was so good advice. nurturing and just was there um she just. was a very kind Spirit um but she could. be a little you know a little nasty when. she wanted to be but ultimately she just. you know she loved her her family and. you know she animals babies loved her. animals loved her I mean people were. just drawn to her you knew when she is. in the room yeah she she sounds like um.

such a special person and I'm not. surprised she has a love for Christmas I. wonder where she got that from uh I. can't imagine so um she definitely got. that from us yes yeah well listen um I. know this isn't easy uh talking about. this I really appreciate you both coming. on um I'm wishing you both nothing but. the best and I'm thinking of you uh as. you're going through this next stage of. the legal process so we're wishing you. uh all the luck through this if you need.

anything you come to us you have a. platform here um but I want to wish you. you know again happy holidays with the. uh everything in the background and I'm. this year yeah better holiday this year. and I'm so sorry for your loss but um. again thank you for explaining to the. world a little bit more about who. Mercedes was and telling us your story. as well so Erica and Tom thank you again. than for having us all right everybody. that's all we have for you right now. here on sidebar thank you so much for. joining us and as always please. subscribe on Apple podcast Spotify.

YouTube wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Jesse Weber I'll speak to you next. time. [Music].