A man previously accused of holding a woman at gunpoint during a robbery is now facing a raft of charges linked to her brutal death, including first-degree murder and kidnapping.

Cudjoe Young is facing a sweeping indictment in the death of Mercedes Vega, 22, who was allegedly kidnapped and killed just before she was set to testify against him.

The charges, which were handed down in late July, include first-degree murder, kidnapping, conspiracy, arson, and Armed robbery, among other offences.

Mr Young isn’t the only person facing prosecution. Sencere Hayes, arrested last November, has been charged with the same offences, according to Maricopa County court records. A third suspect is named in the indictment but remains under seal.

Mr Young told a court this week that he plans to represent himself. Legal representation for Mr Hayes hasn’t yet been confirmed, and it’s unclear whether either man has entered a plea.

Ms Vega was last seen alive on April 16, 2023, outside her apartment complex in Tempe. Her body was discovered the next day inside a vehicle engulfed in flames.

Court documents cited by local media allege she had suffered blunt force injuries, been shot, and had bleach poured down her throat.

According to reports, the medical examiner found Ms Vega had died from smoke inhalation, suggesting she was still breathing when the fire began.

At the time of her death, Ms Vega was scheduled to give evidence in an Armed robbery case. According to multiple NBC news reports, she alleged Mr Young had robbed her at gunpoint after her shift at a Phoenix strip club in 2020.

Prosecutors believe Mr Young orchestrated the killing to silence her. They claim he paid two people to collect and dispose of the vehicle and linked him to plane tickets purchased by those same individuals.

In her obituary, Ms Vega was remembered as a top student and violinist — someone who “always stood up for others and protected those who could not protect themselves.”