The Nashville community reels as details emerge around the tragic death of six-year-old Cyprien Romero, with ongoing investigations piecing together the chilling events of last Friday. The young boy was pronounced dead upon arrival at Southern Hills Medical Center, with wounds from a fatal shooting. According to information released by the Metro Nashville Police Department, parents Karen Y. Argueta and Fredy M. Martinez were arrested on Monday night on serious charges that are, however, unrelated to the actual shooting of their son.
Initial reports from the parents suggested that the incident took place while Cyprien was with them engaging in yard work in the Paragon Mills area. The subsequent investigation has revealed details that seem to slowly unravel the possibility of a different location for the shooting, potentially outside county lines. Detectives continue to steadfastly work to pinpoint exactly how and where the shooting occurred.
The case took a turn when the vehicle used to transport Cyprien to the hospital, a Ford Explorer registered to Argueta, was found to contain a stolen semi-automatic rifle and a substantial amount of crystal meth during a police search. This dark discovery preceded the couple's Monday night apprehension, with Argueta found in an apartment complex parking lot and Martinez inside one of the complex's apartments.
Charges against Argueta include felony meth possession and theft of a gun, leading to a jail bond set at $12,500. Meanwhile, Martinez faces not only a charge as a fugitive from justice due to a probation violation for a burglary conviction but also a felony aggravated assault for an alleged December assault on Argueta. His bond totals a significant $82,500. Detectives still hope to definitely establish the chain of events that culminated in young Cyprien’s death and have indicated that thus far, there seems to be no involvement by outside parties in the shooting.
