Nearly a year of investigation into the April 28, 2024 murder of Francisco Almazan-Rojas, 36, in William Pitts Park off Tusculum Road led to Tuesday night’s arrest of his accused killer, Miguel Cruz-Lopez, 21, at a Paragon Mills Road apartment complex. Cruz-Lopez was booked early today on charges of criminal homicide and especially aggravated robbery.
During an interview with detectives at police headquarters Tuesday night, Cruz-Lopez admitted to shooting and killing Almazan-Rojas in the park, taking his pickup truck and cell phone from the scene, searching the truck for other items to steal, and then abandoning the vehicle in East Nashville. At the time of his arrest, Cruz-Lopez was carrying a nine-millimeter pistol. A gun of the same caliber was the murder weapon. The MNPD Crime Laboratory will conduct ballistics testing on the gun to determine whether it was the weapon used to kill Almazan-Rojas.
A judicial commissioner directed that Cruz-Lopez be held without bond.
Related Images
Miguel Cruz-Lopez, 21