Two Teens Charged with Carjacking

Two teens, a male and female, are charged with carjacking and face additional charges in Mount Juliet after they fled from officers Friday night in the stolen vehicle before crashing at the intersection of Hobson Pike and Smith Springs Road.

Eduardo Melendez-Pineda, 18, and Melany Sigaran-Pineda, 15, are accused of taking the victim’s 2014 Toyota RAV4 at gunpoint Thursday night outside his Patricia Drive residence. During the robbery, Melendez-Pineda allegedly approached the driver side and fired one shot into the SUV and one shot into the air. Sigaran-Pineda then allegedly ordered both occupants out of the vehicle at gunpoint. They complied and the suspects fled.

Friday night Melendez-Pineda (driver) and Sigaran-Pineda (passenger) had driven the RAV4 to Smyrna where they picked up a 17-year-old male. When they entered Mount Juliet an LPR hit on the carjacked SUV resulted in Mount Juliet Police officers initiating a pursuit. The vehicle traveled back into Davidson County where it crashed at the intersection of Hobson Pike and Smith Springs Road. All three occupants fled and the RAV4 became fully engulfed in flames.

Melendez- Pineda was quickly apprehended. An MNPD helicopter pilot saw him discard a black bag which was recovered and contained a handgun. Sigaran-Pineda had called a friend to pick her up. She was taken into custody after a vehicle stop where she was found in the back seat of a Charger armed with a semi-automatic pistol. The driver of the Charger, Kevin Miranda-Robles, 23, is charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, having an open container of alcohol in the car, and failure to have a driver’s license. He is free on $2,000 bond.

The third occupant of the RAV4 was apprehended by a Mount Juliet Police officer and his canine partner. He is not believed to have been involved in Thursday’s carjacking.

During an interview, Melany Sigaran-Pineda admitted her involvement in the carjacking. She is charged in Juvenile Court. Eduardo Melendez-Pineda refused to be interviewed. He remains jailed on $82,500 bond.