No bail for man found in Puerto Rico accused of murder in Weymouth student's 2022 death

Peter Blandino, The Patriot Ledger
Updated ·3 min read
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Keniel Diaz-Romero is escorted into Dedham Superior Court for his arraignment.
Keniel Diaz-Romero is escorted into Dedham Superior Court for his arraignment.

DEDHAM − Keniel Diaz-Romero, a suspect in the February 2022 shooting death of a 17-year-old Weymouth student, was located in Puerto Rico last week only after facing firearms charges there, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Prosecutors said Diaz-Romero fatally shot Nathan Paul in the leg on the night of Feb. 15, 2022, during an attempted robbery in Quincy’s Germantown neighborhood. Paul was a senior at Weymouth High School.

Diaz-Romero was arraigned Tuesday in Dedham Superior Court and pled not guilty to charges of murder, larceny from a person, possession of a counterfeit bill, uttering a counterfeit bill, conspiracy to commit larceny and unlawfully carrying a firearm. He was held without bail.

Paul's friends and family were in the courtroom. As court officers escorted Diaz-Romero in, Paul's mother and sister sobbed loudly, drowning out the voices of the clerk and the judge.

Nathan Paul, 17, a senior at Weymouth High School, was the victim of a deadly shooting in Quincy on Feb. 15, 2022.
Nathan Paul, 17, a senior at Weymouth High School, was the victim of a deadly shooting in Quincy on Feb. 15, 2022.

Diaz-Romero, formerly of Quincy, was apprehended last week in Puerto Rico after a 16-month search by local, state and federal authorities. Prosecutors called him a flight risk. Assistant District Attorney Aubrey Burr said Diaz-Romero is serving a 19-year sentence in Puerto Rico.

On the night of Paul’s death, a group of six teenagers, including Diaz-Romero, planned to buy $500 worth of THC vape cartridges from Paul using counterfeit money, authorities said.

As one of the four juveniles in the group handed Paul five counterfeit notes, the rest waited nearby in a vehicle to provide backup if needed, according to a statement by Burr.

A woman identified as the mother of Nathan Paul, left, listens during the arraignment of her son's alleged killer, Keniel Diaz-Romero, in Dedham Superior Court.
A woman identified as the mother of Nathan Paul, left, listens during the arraignment of her son's alleged killer, Keniel Diaz-Romero, in Dedham Superior Court.

Burr wrote that Paul quickly realized the money was fake and pursued the juvenile on foot, leaving his car unattended.

The five other members of the group then tried to steal any valuables in Paul's vehicle, but dispersed when Paul returned, the statement reads.

According to Burr, Paul then drove around the neighborhood and later came across four members of the group walking up Palmer Street. Paul pulled his car over a curb and into a snowbank. Witnesses later reported a loud argument between the parties, the statement says.

Keniel Diaz-Romero is charged with the 2022 shooting death of Weymouth High School student Nathan Paul in Quincy.
Keniel Diaz-Romero is charged with the 2022 shooting death of Weymouth High School student Nathan Paul in Quincy.

Paul tried to back away, but was stuck in the snowbank. Diaz-Romero walked alongside Paul's car, according to the prosecution. When his co-defendant, Jaivon Harris, told him to shoot Paul, Diaz-Romero shot once at head level and missed and a second shot penetrated the car door, striking Paul, Burr wrote.

Now wounded, Paul managed to back away, but later crashed his car. When police arrived, they found him unresponsive. He was later pronounced dead.

During the arraignment, Burr said Diaz-Romero abandoned the jacket he wore during the shooting. Investigators retrieved the jacket, and analysis revealed gunshot residue in the fabric, Burr said.

Defense lawyer Liam Scully said Diaz-Romero was born in Puerto Rico and has extensive family there. He moved to Quincy when he was in the third grade.

Scully said the prosecution's case relies almost exclusively on witnesses "with major credibility problems." These witnesses provided testimony that exculpates themselves while implicating Diaz-Romero, Scully said, adding that the credibility of their testimony will make up the substance of the trial.

The defense contested the prosecution's request that Diaz-Romero be detained until the trial.

Harris was arrested about two weeks after the shooting when he reported to Quincy District Court. He was arraigned on March 1 on charges of murder, armed robbery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and conspiracy.

A Norfolk County grand jury indicted Harris and Diaz-Romero on murder and various other charges related to Paul's death a few months later. In July 2022, four juveniles were also arrested in connection with the shooting. They face charges of larceny and use of counterfeit money. One juvenile has been charged with accessory after the fact of murder.

Gregory Paul, Nathan’s father, said his son was planning to attend the University of Massachusetts-Amherst after graduating from Weymouth High School.

Diaz-Romero's next court date is Oct. 27, the same date Harris is scheduled to appear in court.

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Reach Peter Blandino at pblandino@patriotledger.com.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Keniel Diaz-Romero pleads not guilty to the 2022 murder of Nathan Paul