911 calls and car fire report released in Mercedes Vega’s unsolved murder

TEMPE, AZ (AZFamily) — For the first time, we’re hearing the 911 calls in the Mercedes Vega murder case from the day her body was found burning in a car off Interstate 10 near Tonopah in April 2023.

Vega vanished from her Tempe apartment and was found hours later when the car fire was reported.

The police report includes new details about the type of car she was found in and what the 911 caller saw.

“I’d to report a car fire off the side of the road on I-10,” a caller told a 911 dispatcher on April 17, 2023. “I saw like flames literally inside the vehicle.”

A man called 911 as he passed by on the freeway near Tonopah, unknowingly leading to the discovery of 22-year-old Mercedes Vega inside.

“There appears to be a dead person in the vehicle,” an officer said on the scene, relaying over the phone.

The 911 caller didn’t know what he was looking at, but before he hung up, he reported a crucial piece of information.

“I believe I saw at least one person outside, yes,” he told 911.

Vega’s parents, Erika and Tom Pillsbury, believe that detail could jog the memory of other drivers who passed the car fire and potentially the person seen outside the car, someone who would know about Vega’s murder.

“Getting that information out there that they were seen is important,” said Erika. “It could be the start of the snowball.”

The last known video of Mercedes Vega alive shows her leaving her Tempe apartment on April 16.

Originally, she was going to meet friends for dinner, but recently, investigators said she abruptly changed plans that night to go to work, where she danced at a club.

She never made it there, and after her body was found in the burning car, an autopsy revealed she was shot in the arm, had bleach in her throat, and was alive when the car fire started.

Along with the 911 calls, Arizona’s Family also got the incident report that shows the car she was found in was a white 2018 Chevy Malibu with a salvaged car title. The car did not belong to Vega.

“I do believe it’s going to track it back to the place that had the car, who took that car from the place. There’s got to be some record. The vehicle was never reported stolen,” said Tom.

The Pillsburys are frustrated with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office just now putting this information out.

“You’re releasing this now after a year, when if you were to release this six months ago, we may not be sitting here right now,” said Tom.

But they’re also optimistic.

“It gives us a little bit of hope that someone’s going to recognize something,” said Erika.

They continue to try to move forward themselves, doing an interview from Hawaii, a place Vega loved and visited on her 22nd birthday, just weeks before she was killed.

This visit is to spread her ashes.

“It’s going to be hard to put her in that, and say goodbye, and I’ll see you soon, but I know that’s what she wanted,” Tom said with tears in his eyes.

Arizona’s Family is waiting on MCSO body-camera footage from when Vega was found in that car fire. That should be released soon.

We were told that part of the police report cannot be released right now because it could compromise the investigation.

If you have any information about the murder of Mercedes Vega, please call the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office.

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