Suspect Repeatedly Reversed Course On Plea Deals In Robbery Of Arizona Dancer He Is Accused Of Killing, Documents Show

The Arizona man accused of targeting exotic dancers successful gunpoint robberies and brutally sidesplitting 1 of nan victims years later many times reversed his determination connected plea deals successful nan robbery cases, including 1 that would person reduced nan charges to a low-level felony pinch small situation time, tribunal documents show.

In 2021, Cudjoe Young, 29, turned down an statement to plead blameworthy to disorderly behaviour and service 2½ years successful situation followed by probation, according to a associated pretrial connection obtained by NBC News.

Weeks later, Young reversed himself and told prosecutors he wanted nan deal, according to nan statement. He yet rejected nan connection during a tribunal hearing.

For much connected this case, perceive to nan Dateline: True Crime Weekly podcast.

Young faces a maximum situation condemnation of 36 years mixed successful relationship pinch charges of equipped robbery successful October 2020 and attempted equipped robbery nan pursuing month, according to nan statement.

The connection does not bespeak what prompted nan reversals.

Young, erstwhile described by his lawyers arsenic an aspiring master shot player, besides stands accused pinch 2 co-defendants successful a horrific execution plot that targeted 1 of nan robbery victims, Mercedes Vega.

Vega was recovered beaten, burned and changeable successful an abandoned car connected an interstate extracurricular Phoenix connected April 17, 2023, little than 2 years aft Young rejected nan plea.

Security footage of Mercedes Vega.via Dateline

Young has pleaded not blameworthy successful some cases, which are ongoing. A co-defendant successful nan execution case, Sencere Hayes, has pleaded not guilty. A 3rd suspect successful that case, Jared Gray, has not been arraigned.

Authorities person not identified a motive successful nan killing, but Vega’s family has said they judge it was to soundlessness her. Vega, 22, had been scheduled to look astatine a tribunal proceeding successful nan equipped robbery lawsuit connected nan time she was recovered dead, according to her mother, Erika Pillsbury.

Vega’s parents person said she mightiness still beryllium live if nan robbery cases hadn’t been many times delayed and if she had been amended protected while she waited to testify.

A spokesperson for nan Maricopa County Attorney’s Office declined to comment. In a mobility revenge past week, nan lawman region lawyer prosecuting nan robberies pointed to a caller effort by Young to alteration attorneys successful nan those cases and accused him of “a calculated effort to manipulate nan tribunal into postponing his trial.”

“It has been almost 5 years since nan crimes alleged successful this lawsuit and justness has been continually denied,” nan charismatic wrote.

Aaron Reed, a lawyer for Young, declined to comment, noting that nan pleas were offered earlier he became Young’s attorney. Reed besides would not remark connected nan delays, but successful a filing he called nan prosecutor’s allegations “off guidelines and false.”

The pretrial connection shows that Young rejected 3 plea offers betwixt August 2021 and past December. On Jan. 27, 2022, astir a period aft he rejected nan disorderly behaviour charge, he reversed himself and said he wanted nan deal, according to nan statement.

“With an statement reached we asked Judge Beresky to fresh america successful for a alteration of plea aft lunch,” nan connection says, noting that each parties arrived to nan proceeding aft nan break.

“Defendant again rejected nan plea,” nan connection says.

Another projected statement would person reduced nan charges to attempted equipped robbery pinch a maximum situation condemnation of 3½ years. Young initially indicated he would judge nan offer, according to nan statement, but needed clip to get his affairs successful order.

He later rejected nan plea during a tribunal hearing, nan archive states.

Cudjoe Young astatine his arraignment successful Maricopa County Superior Court successful Arizona connected Aug. 1.Pool via NBC News

Prosecutors’ last connection came connected Dec. 18, 2024, astir 2 years aft Vega’s death: successful speech for pleading blameworthy to 2 counts of aggravated assault, he would service 7½ years successful prison, according to nan statement.

“No colony was held because Defendant didn’t judge it would beryllium fruitful,” nan archive states.

Trial for nan 2 robbery cases was scheduled for past month, but nan proceedings were delayed aft Young asked for his lawyer to beryllium removed. He initially planned to correspond himself, nan erstwhile lawyer said, though nan suspect appeared astatine his arraignment for execution charges past Friday pinch Reed, a backstage lawyer who is representing him connected nan execution and robbery cases.

Court documents, constabulary reports and interviews show that 3 dancers who worked astatine Le Girls, a Phoenix portion club, told authorities that a masked gunman robbed them aliases tried to rob them aft they vanished moving a precocious displacement betwixt November 2019 and November 2020.

Young was charged successful 2 of nan cases, including Vega’s. No fishy was identified successful nan 3rd case.

Vega’s family has said that aft she was robbed, she near her Phoenix flat building for what she believed was a much unafraid location successful adjacent Tempe. Authorities person said she was violently abducted from nan parking car shed of that caller building connected nan nighttime of April 16, 2023.

Vega was recovered hours later successful nan backmost of a Chevrolet Malibu connected Interstate 10 adjacent Tonopah, astir an hr westbound of Phoenix, aft a motorist reported seeing a burning car.

A aesculapian examiner’s study listed Vega’s origin of decease arsenic conflagration, blunt unit and ballistic injuries. The study noted nan smell of bleach successful her throat.

A probable origin connection successful nan lawsuit alleges that aft nan Malibu was bought done an online seller, Young paid 2 group to prime it up. Authorities person besides suggested that he whitethorn person bought his co-defendants’ level tickets to Arizona from Tennessee, wherever Young is primitively from.

Authorities person said that fingerprints recovered successful nan Malibu and successful Vega’s car nexus his co-defendants to nan murder.