Deadly Murfreesboro armed robbery remains unsolved 4 years later

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN) — Four years ago, an attempted robbery at a Murfreesboro apartment complex reportedly turned deadly when the suspect starting firing shots at the door, striking one of the residents inside.

However, to this day, police are still trying to figure out who the armed intruder was. According to officials, 24-year-old Mario Dominguez-Santiago was standing on the other side of the door on the night of the robbery on Aug. 27, 2020.

It was around 9 p.m. when the suspect reportedly started trying to break into the unit in the H building of the complex at 2325 Willowbrook Drive. Dominguez-Santiago lived with roommates, but only he was struck by the gunfire when the suspect started shooting at the front door.

After officers with the Murfreesboro Police Department arrived at the apartment complex, they found Dominguez-Santiago suffering from a gunshot wound to his chest. He was taken to Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital, where he later died.

Mario Dominguez-Santiago (Courtesy: Murfreesboro Police Department)

Mario Dominguez-Santiago (Courtesy: Murfreesboro Police Department)

While little is known about the possible suspect, police were able to get a vague description of the man. According to witnesses, the suspect was possibly a “white or light-skinned male who speaks fluent Spanish.”

Few other details are available in the alleged homicide, which, even four years later, remains among a handful of cold cases Murfreesboro detectives are still working to solve. Often times, officials said “citizen assistance” is a vital element to these types of investigations.

Anyone with information regarding the case is urged to call the Murfreesboro Police Criminal Investigations Division at 615-893-2717 or email crimetips@murfreesborotn.gov. To view more unsolved cases out of Murfreesboro, click here.