PHOENIX — Opening statements are set to begin May 12 in an armed robbery case connected to the murder of a 19-year-old Arizona woman in 2020.
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Cudjoe Young is accused of robbing Mercedes Vega in 2018, just two years before she was murdered. Young is one of the people accused of Vega’s murder, as well.
Vega was 19 years old when she was robbed in the parking lot of her Phoenix apartment complex in October of 2020 as she was coming home from work at a club, records show. A man wearing a mask and gloves pointed a gun at her before taking her phone and bag containing money. Vega helped investigators identify the suspect in that case as Young.
A state document says Vega was killed to prevent her cooperation with that law enforcement investigation, to prevent her testimony in a court proceeding, or retaliation for her cooperation with an official law enforcement investigation.
The robbery trial has also been delayed more than a dozen times.
After filing numerous motions, changing attorneys, and even at one point claiming he was going to represent himself, the trial has been delayed 19 times in total, according to previous 12News reporting.
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