Topline: The sheriff said the mother is a “bad example for other parents and her actions only made the situation worse.”
Published: April 13, 2025 7:00 am ET
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Cindy Mishelle Paniagua, left, and Jonathan Enrique Valerio Paniagua (via Monroe County Sheriff's Office)
HOMESTEAD, FL — A Florida woman was arrested Wednesday for helping her juvenile son flee the area after he shot another teenager in March.
According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, 37-year-old Cindy Mishelle Paniagua was arrested on a charge of accessory after the fact.
Police say her son, Jonathan Enrique Valerio Paniagua, 15, was charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery using a deadly weapon following a shooting at Key Largo Community Park in which another male teenager suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators said a disagreement over a girl may have preceded the incident.
Cindy Paniagua allegedly picked up her son after the incident and helped him flee the area.
Multiple witnesses stated she refused to contact law enforcement knowing her son shot the other juvenile and instructed others to not call 911 or notify law enforcement.
“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 the park at approximately 9:50 p.m. on March 8, 2025, regarding a shots fired call, but no one with knowledge of the call could be located on scene.
A short time later, a 16-year-old male victim with a minor grazing gunshot wound to the hand, as well as injuries to his legs from cell phone shrapnel caused by a bullet, was treated at Mariners Hospital in Tavernier before he was airlifted to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital in Miami via Trauma Star.
Clothes matching the description of the suspect’s clothes as well as a wallet with identifying information for Jonathan Enrique Valerio Paniagua were subsequently found in a nearby canal by the Sheriff’s Office Dive Team.
Jonathan Enrique Valerio Paniagua turned himself in on March 11.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Published: April 13, 2025 7:00 am ET
Cindy Mishelle Paniagua, left, and Jonathan Enrique Valerio Paniagua (via Monroe County Sheriff's Office)
HOMESTEAD, FL — A Florida woman was arrested Wednesday for helping her juvenile son flee the area after he shot another teenager in March.
According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, 37-year-old Cindy Mishelle Paniagua was arrested on a charge of accessory after the fact.
Police say her son, Jonathan Enrique Valerio Paniagua, 15, was charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery using a deadly weapon following a shooting at Key Largo Community Park in which another male teenager suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators said a disagreement over a girl may have preceded the incident.
Cindy Paniagua allegedly picked up her son after the incident and helped him flee the area.
Multiple witnesses stated she refused to contact law enforcement knowing her son shot the other juvenile and instructed others to not call 911 or notify law enforcement.
“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 the park at approximately 9:50 p.m. on March 8, 2025, regarding a shots fired call, but no one with knowledge of the call could be located on scene.
A short time later, a 16-year-old male victim with a minor grazing gunshot wound to the hand, as well as injuries to his legs from cell phone shrapnel caused by a bullet, was treated at Mariners Hospital in Tavernier before he was airlifted to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital in Miami via Trauma Star.
Clothes matching the description of the suspect’s clothes as well as a wallet with identifying information for Jonathan Enrique Valerio Paniagua were subsequently found in a nearby canal by the Sheriff’s Office Dive Team.
Jonathan Enrique Valerio Paniagua turned himself in on March 11.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Sheriff: Florida Mom Tried to Help Son ‘Get Away With’ Attempted Murder
The sheriff said the mother is a “bad example for other parents and her actions only made the situation worse.”
By Jacob Charles
Published: April 13, 2025 7:00 am ET
Cindy Mishelle Paniagua, left, and Jonathan Enrique Valerio Paniagua (via Monroe County Sheriff's Office)
HOMESTEAD, FL — A Florida woman was arrested Wednesday for helping her juvenile son flee the area after he shot another teenager in March.
According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, 37-year-old Cindy Mishelle Paniagua was arrested on a charge of accessory after the fact.
Police say her son, Jonathan Enrique Valerio Paniagua, 15, was charged with attempted murder and aggravated battery using a deadly weapon following a shooting at Key Largo Community Park in which another male teenager suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators said a disagreement over a girl may have preceded the incident.
Cindy Paniagua allegedly picked up her son after the incident and helped him flee the area.
Multiple witnesses stated she refused to contact law enforcement knowing her son shot the other juvenile and instructed others to not call 911 or notify law enforcement.
“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 the park at approximately 9:50 p.m. on March 8, 2025, regarding a shots fired call, but no one with knowledge of the call could be located on scene.
A short time later, a 16-year-old male victim with a minor grazing gunshot wound to the hand, as well as injuries to his legs from cell phone shrapnel caused by a bullet, was treated at Mariners Hospital in Tavernier before he was airlifted to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital in Miami via Trauma Star.
Clothes matching the description of the suspect’s clothes as well as a wallet with identifying information for Jonathan Enrique Valerio Paniagua were subsequently found in a nearby canal by the Sheriff’s Office Dive Team.
Jonathan Enrique Valerio Paniagua turned himself in on March 11.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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