By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A man accused in a murder-for-hire plot to silence a witness is appearing in court Tuesday for the armed robbery that prosecutors say led to that killing.
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Prosecutors say Cudjoe Young robbed Mercedes Vega at gunpoint in 2020. Vega picked him out of a photo lineup and was set to testify against him at trial.
While Young was in custody, detectives say he hired two childhood friends to kill Vega. She was found burning alive in a car off the I-10 in Tonopah in April 2023.
Young appeared in court today solely for the armed robbery charge. Separately, three men including Young are set to go to trial later this year in connection with Vega’s death.
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If Young is convicted in that case, prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty.
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