Woman Accused of Shooting Ex-Boyfriend in IB Headed to Mental Competency Hearing

A mental competency hearing was scheduled today for a woman accused of fatally shooting her ex-boyfriend inside his Imperial Beach apartment after stalking and harassing him for a year.

Vegas Batallya Bray, 25, is charged with first-degree murder in the Oct. 16, 2012, death of 31-year-old Victor Saucedo.

The defendant was previously sent to a state mental hospital for treatment after a judge found her incapable of understanding the charges and unable to assist her attorney at trial. Today's hearing is schedule to determine whether she has regained her competency following treatment, paving the way for criminal proceedings to be reinstated.

Bray and the 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.

Authorities said the couple broke up because Bray was jealous of the mother of Saucedo's child but Bray continued to pursue the victim.

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, said Deputy District Attorney Harrison Kennedy at an earlier hearing.

The couple had some "social interaction" the day before the slaying in which there was talk of rekindling the relationship, but Saucedo said he wasn't interested in the long-term relationship that Bray wanted, according to Kennedy.

Bray allegedly felt "spurned" and left the victim's apartment the next morning, then returned that afternoon with a .38-caliber revolved and shot Saucedo nine times. She called 911 after the shooting to report that Saucedo had committed suicide.

—City News Service