Homicide Charge On Hold: Vegas Bray Headed to Mental Hospital

Originally published 11:15 a.m. July 8.

A woman charged in the fatal shooting of her ex-lover in his Imperial Beach apartment after stalking and harassing him for a year is incompetent to stand trial and will be sent to a state mental hospital, a judge ruled Monday.

Vegas Bray, 24, is charged with first degree murder in the Oct. 16, 2012, death of 31-year-old Victor Saucedo, who was shot nine times at the Mariner's Point apartment complex. If convicted Bray faces 50 years to life in prison.

During a preliminary hearing in April, Bray shouted that she was not jealous of the victim and didn't remember shooting him.

A judge granted a defense request to have the defendant evaluated to see if she understands the charges against her and can assist her attorney at trial.

Monday, Judge Joseph Brannigan adopted the findings in a psychiatrist's report that Bray was not mentally competent to stand trial, ordering that she be sent to Patton State Hospital for up to three years in hopes of restoring her competency.

At an earlier hearing, Deputy District Attorney Harrison Kennedy said that Bray and Saucedo met while they were both in the Navy and started dating in 2010. The relationship lasted for several months and ended toward the later part of 2011.

Kennedy said the couple broke up because the defendant was jealous of the mother of Saucedo's child, and she continued to pursue him after they broke up.

Bray committed seven acts of vandalism against Saucedo's car and apartment, including popping his car tires, smearing peanut butter on his door, and even tracking him down after he changed apartments, the prosecutor alleged.

Friends and family of Saucedo accused the sheriff's department of not doing enough to protect Saucedo, possibly because he was a man being pursued by a woman. Deputies said a restraining order was recommended in April 2012. No restraining order was ever filed, according to sheriff's department records.

Bray and Saucedo had some "social interaction" in which there was talk of rekindling the relationship on Oct. 15, but Saucedo said he wasn't interested in the long-term relationship Bray wanted, Kennedy said. Bray felt "spurned" and left the victim's apartment the next morning, the prosecutor said.

About 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 16, Bray returned to Saucedo's apartment with a .38-caliber revolver and, minutes later, neighbors reported hearing a series of gunshots, Kennedy said.

Bray called 911 and said Saucedo committed suicide. The gun used was found next to him. At Bray's arraignment last year, Kennedy called the killing of Saucedo the "ultimate act of obsession."

City News Service contributed to this report.