Authorities announced an arrest Monday in the brutal murder of an exotic dancer whose body was discovered in a burning car on an Arizona interstate more than a year ago. Sencere Hayes, 22, faces a first-degree murder charge in the the April 17, killing of Mercedes Vega, 22, a spokesperson for the Maricopa County Attorney's Office said Tuesday.
Hayes, of Chattanooga, Tenn. It isn't clear if Hayes has a lawyer to speak on his behalf. Vega, who performed at a Phoenix strip club and had plans to become a personal trainer, had been beaten, shot and burned, according to her autopsy.
Her face appeared to have been doused in bleach, according to a forensic pathologist who reviewed her autopsy for NBC News. She wasn't heard from again. It isn't clear how the vehicle got there. Authorities have declined to comment. Vega's family has said they found blood on the garage floor near where she parked, prompting them to believe she may have been assaulted and abducted.
The sheriff's office has declined to comment. According to the incident report, the Malibu that Vega's body was found in had a salvage title and had previously been registered to a person who couldn't be reached for comment. A spokesman for the car's most recent owner, State Farm Insurance, has declined to comment, citing customer privacy policy and "sensitivities surrounding this tragedy. The caller who reported the car fire saw someone walking around the Malibu, according to the report, which didn't provide additional details about the person.
This article was originally published on NBCNews. A chilling twist emerged Friday in the death of Adan Manzano, a year-old TV reporter who traveled to cover the Super Bowl but mysteriously died in a hotel room. A woman allegedly took down an American flag at a California park and replaced it with a Mexican flag before threatening authorities.
