KEY LARGO, Fla. – A 37-year-old Homestead, Florida woman was arrested Wednesday for her alleged involvement in helping her juvenile son evade law enforcement after he shot another teenager in March.
Cindy Mishelle Paniagua has been charged with accessory after the fact.
Her son, Jonathan Enrique Valerio Paniagua, 15, also of Homestead, faces charges of attempted murder and aggravated battery using a deadly weapon for a shooting that occurred at Key Largo Community Park. The victim in that incident was another male teenager who suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
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According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Cindy Paniagua is accused of picking up her son after the shooting and helping him flee the area. Witnesses reportedly stated that she refused to contact law enforcement and instructed others not to call 911 or notify authorities.
“This young man potentially ruined his life by attempting to take another life and sadly his mother tried to help him get away with it,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay. “Mrs. Paniagua is a bad example for other parents and her actions only made the situation worse.”
The Sheriff’s Office responded to Key Largo Community Park at approximately 9:50 p.m. on March 8, 2025, following a report of shots fired. However, officers initially found no one at the scene who could provide information about the incident.
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Later, a 16-year-old male victim arrived at Mariners Hospital in Tavernier with a minor/grazing gunshot wound to the hand and injuries to his legs from cell phone shrapnel caused by a bullet. He was subsequently airlifted to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital in Miami via Trauma Star.
The Sheriff’s Office Dive Team later recovered clothing matching the description of the suspect’s clothing, as well as a wallet with identifying information for Jonathan Enrique Valerio Paniagua, from a nearby canal.
The investigation revealed that a disagreement over a girl may have been the motive for the shooting.
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