WPBN: Authorities made an arrest about three weeks ago in connection with the horrific death of Mercedes Vega, an exotic dancer who was discovered dead in a burning automobile on an Arizona highway 19 months prior.
Erika Pillsbury, Vega’s mother, claims that while the development has brought her one step closer to closure, she is still unable to comprehend the terrible circumstances surrounding the murder, including why her daughter was allegedly abducted, why she died such a horrifying death, and who else might have been involved.
In an interview on Wednesday, she stated, “When I finally get all the pieces of this puzzle together, I don’t know if I’ll be more mad, the same amount of mad or less mad.”
“I’m sure there are moms out there that don’t want to know,” she continued. “I want to know.”
Authorities have not provided information regarding a potential motive or Hayes’ connection to Arizona since last month, when the 22-year-old Hayes was arrested on a charge of first-degree murder in connection with Vega’s murder.
According to public sources, Hayes lived in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
According to an indictment, he was accused with first-degree murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, and theft in relation to the death of 22-year-old Vega on April 17, 2023.
A prosecutor stated during Hayes’ first court appearance in Maricopa County last week that the murder investigation is still ongoing and involves additional individuals, who she did not name.
“There is still much work to be done, in collaboration with state, local, and federal partners,” Sheriff Russ Skinner said in a statement last week, adding, “we hope this arrest brings Mercedes’ family one step closer to finding closure from this horrific crime.”
At his arraignment on Wednesday, Hayes entered a not guilty plea. According to jail records, he is being detained in lieu of a $2 million cash bond.
She and her spouse sat right behind Hayes in court, according to Pillsbury, “because we wanted to make sure he knew we were there.”
Shortly after 9 p.m. on April 16, 2023, Vega, who performed at a strip club in Phoenix and intended to start her own gym and work as a personal trainer, was last saw at her Tempe, Arizona, apartment complex. She was caught on camera going into the building’s garage.
What authorities think happened next has not been disclosed. According to her family, they suspect she may have been beaten and abducted after seeing blood on the garage floor near where she parked her Dodge Charger.
Vega’s body was found in the back seat of a burned-out Chevy Malibu on Interstate 10 close to Tonopah, west of Phoenix, a few hours before dawn on April 17.
Her autopsy revealed that she had been shot, beaten, and burned, and a forensic doctor who examined the record said that her face looked like it had been covered with bleach.
Botched At-Home Medical Procedure: Missouri Parents Charged for Endangering Child
According to the report, the car was found when a person called 911 after spotting it in the westbound lane of the interstate with flames in the back seat.
According to authorities, on April 18, Vega’s Charger was discovered parked in the middle of a street about a mile away from the garage. According to the indictment, Hayes took it.
