NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — An 18-year-old on probation for a murder-related conviction is back in police custody, now facing serious charges in a violent carjacking incident. Eduardo Melendez-Pineda, who pleaded guilty earlier this year to criminally negligent homicide in connection with the death of 13-year-old Aaliyah Ingram, was arrested after police say he fired shots during the carjacking last week.
Aaliyah’s mother, Natalie Chastain, is devastated by the turn of events. She thinks about her daughter every day.
Aaliyah loved to cook, her family, friends, and animals.
“She would give you the clothes off her back if you needed them. That’s just the type of person she was.”
Tragically, Aaliyah's life was cut short in November 2022.
On November 21, 2022, a 15-year-old named Cesar Martinez was driving the stolen vehicle when he picked up Aaliyah, later joined by Melendez-Pineda and two others.
The car crashed near Paragon Mills, rolling into a yard and trapping Aaliyah underneath.
According to Chastain, the group left her daughter to die and did not seek help.
Both Melendez-Pineda and Martinez were charged with criminally negligent homicide, receiving probation after their convictions.
After pleading guilty on August 22, 2024, Melendez-Pineda was charged as an adult and sentenced to three years of probation but was back in custody within just 60 days.
Last week, he and a 15-year-old accomplice were accused of carjacking an SUV outside the victim's home, during which Melendez-Pineda allegedly fired a shot into the vehicle and another into the air.
The next day officers spotted the stolen SUV, and things escalated into a police chase across two counties before the pair was taken into custody.
Chastain expressed her frustration with the justice system.
“There shouldn't be another victim. My daughter should have been it with that. That should have been what took him off the streets,” Chastain said.
She argues that the legal system needs reform, advocating for stronger sentences for violent crimes, even for minors.
Although Aaliyah's case has closed, Chastain remains determined to fight for justice for all victims of violent crime.
“We’ve got to do something because if not, there’s going to be another victim,” she said.
Eduardo Melendez-Pineda refused to be interviewed. He remains jailed on $82,500 bond.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at kelsey.gibbs@newschannel5.com
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-Lelan Statom
