UPDATED: NASHVILLE, TN - On Wednesday, WGNS learned more information about the parents of a child in Nashville who was shot and killed this past Friday. Youth Services detectives on Tuesday night, charged Fredy Martinez, 37, and Karen Argueta-Salgado, 28, with criminal homicide, aggravated child neglect and evidence tampering in connection with last Friday afternoon’s fatal shooting of their six-year-old son, Cyprien Romero. The parents brought him to Southern Hills Medical Center where he was pronounced dead.
Detectives on Tuesday afternoon were able to use GPS technology associated with the parents’ vehicle to overcome their deception as to where the shooting occurred. While they initially said it happened in a yard in the Paragon Mills area, it actually took place inside a motel room on Metroplex Drive in South Nashville. A search warrant was executed at the room late today. Evidence related to the shooting was recovered. Surveillance video from the motel shows the family there last Friday. The parents were in the parking lot when their eight-year-old son came out of their motel room to get them. Martinez is then seen carrying Cyprien, who appeared to be limp, from the room to their Ford Explorer.
The Explorer was impounded at the hospital Friday night. Detectives know that shortly after arrival to the hospital, Argueta-Salgado drove off in the vehicle and was gone for nearly an hour before returning. A subsequent search of the Explorer pursuant to a search warrant revealed a semi-automatic rifle style gun with a loaded magazine inside a bag in the rear floorboard. The gun was reported stolen out of Murfreesboro. Also in the Explorer were bloody bed sheets and a plastic baggie containing 6.92 grams of crystal meth.
Monday night, through joint work by Youth Services, Homicide and Specialized Investigations Division detectives, Argueta-Salgado was located in the parking lot of an apartment complex on McMurray Drive. Martinez was located inside one of the apartments. Both were taken into custody.
Argueta-Salgado was charged early Tuesday with felony meth possession and gun theft. Martinez was charged with being a fugitive from justice out of Travis County, Texas. He is wanted there for a probation violation related to a burglary conviction. He was also charged with felony aggravated assault for allegedly beating Argueta-Salgado last December. Both were still in jail when the homicide, child neglect and evidence tampering warrants were issued on Tuesday night.
Metro Police noted in an updated media report, “The parents have lied to detectives and have been uncooperative during this investigation.”
DISCLAIMER: All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The arrest records or information about an arrest that are published or reported on NewsRadio WGNS and www.WGNSradio.com are not an indication of guilt or evidence that an actual crime has been committed.
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NASHVILLE, TN - Metro Nashville Police are continuing their investigation into the fatal shooting of six-year-old Cyprien Romero, who was brought to a Nashville hospital by his parents this past Friday. Authorities are working to determine the exact circumstances of the shooting and where it occurred. Several days later on Tuesday, a Metro Police media release confirmed that both parents have since been arrested. The report also noted that a semi-auto gun described as a “rifle-style gun” — reported stolen in Murfreesboro — was found in the vehicle used to transport the child to the hospital.
According to Metro Police, Cyprien’s parents drove him to Southern Hills Medical Center late Friday afternoon, where he was pronounced dead. They initially told investigators they had been performing yard work in the South Nashville area of Paragon Mills, while Cyprien played with his brother. They said they became aware he was injured during that time, but later became uncooperative. Conflicting information over the weekend suggested the shooting may have occurred outside of Davidson County.
The Ford Explorer used to transport Cyprien was impounded Friday night. Investigators report that shortly after arriving at the hospital, Cyprien’s mother, Karen Y. Argueta, 28, drove away in the SUV for nearly an hour before returning. A search of the vehicle, conducted under a warrant, uncovered the rifle-style gun with a loaded magazine inside a bag on the rear floorboard. Police also found a plastic bag containing 6.92 grams of crystal methamphetamine.
On Monday night, detectives from the Youth Services, Homicide, and Specialized Investigations divisions located Argueta in the parking lot of an apartment complex on McMurray Drive. Cyprien’s father, Fredy M. Martinez, 37, was found inside one of the apartments. Both were taken into custody. As of Tuesday afternoon, the suspects remain behind bars.
Argueta is charged with felony meth possession and gun theft. She is being held on a $12,500 bond. Martinez is charged with being a fugitive from justice out of Travis County, Texas, for a probation violation related to a burglary conviction. He also faces a felony aggravated assault charge for allegedly beating Argueta in December. His bond is set at $82,500.
Police stress that the investigation remains ongoing, and detectives are continuing to work on determining exactly how and where Cyprien was shot. Detectives have not released any details on what caliber of weapon may have been used in the shooting, nor have they said what caliber of ammunition was found with the gun that was located inside the SUV that was registered to the mother. At this stage, there is no indication that anyone outside the immediate family was involved, according to Metro Police on Tuesday.
DISCLAIMER: All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. The arrest records or information about an arrest that are published or reported on NewsRadio WGNS and www.WGNSradio.com are not an indication of guilt or evidence that an actual crime has been committed.
