Two teenagers' attempt at a quick getaway came to a crashing halt in Mount Juliet after a carjacking incident that led to a fiery chase. Eduardo Melendez-Pineda, 18, and Melany Sigaran-Pineda, 15, face serious charges following their alleged armed theft of a 2014 Toyota RAV4 and subsequent pursuit by law enforcement.
The pair reportedly accosted the vehicle's owner outside his Patricia Drive home last Thursday evening. "Melendez-Pineda allegedly approached the driver's side and fired one shot into the SUV and one shot into the air," according to a Metropolitan Nashville Police Department media release. Melany Sigaran-Pineda is then said to have commanded the vehicle's occupants to exit at gunpoint, to which they complied, and the teens fled in their car.
Friday night's events escalated when a license plate recognition system alerted Mount Juliet Police to the stolen vehicle. A chase ensued, beginning in Mount Juliet and ending with the RAV4 engulfed in flames at the intersection of Hobson Pike and Smith Springs Road. All three occupants of the vehicle attempted to escape on foot before being apprehended by authorities.
While Eduardo Melendez-Pineda was quickly captured and seen "discard a black bag" containing a handgun, Melany Sigaran-Pineda had contacted a friend for a pickup, as reported by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department official statement. She was found armed and in the back seat of a Charger during a vehicle stop. Kevin Miranda-Robles, the driver of the Charger, faces charges that include contributing to the delinquency of a minor and is currently out on bond.
The juvenile in the case, Melany Sigaran-Pineda, has admitted her role in the carjacking and faces charges in Juvenile Court. Her accomplice, Eduardo Melendez-Pineda, chose to withhold from the interview process and remains incarcerated with bail set at $82,500.
