Parents Charged with Criminal Homicide and Evidence Tampering in Connection with Fatal Shooting of 6-Year-Old

Youth Services detectives tonight 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 this 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 tonight.

The parents have lied to detectives and have been uncooperative during this investigation.