.png)
An 18-year-old Elgin resident was indicted May 5 on a firearm smuggling charge officials suspect may be connected to a separate murder case and broader guns trafficking investigation.
Aden Galindo faces a third-degree felony smuggling charge and a state-jail felony charge of unlawful transfer of a firearm to a person under 18 in the 335th District Court. He was arrested in October and posted a $150,000 bond Nov. 7 under the condition he not possess or attempt to possess a firearm, county records show.
Galindo and another suspect were both arrested Oct. 16 by Elgin police, with assistance from the Travis County Sheriff’s Office and Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team. Reports said investigators seized 14 firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and more than $4,000 in cash.
Officials noted the suspects may have supplied a firearm to Jayden Sherrod, 17. Sherrod is currently being held in the Bastrop County Jail on a first-degree murder charge in connection with the death of Jowel Wallace A pretrial hearing for Sherrod is set for June 8 in the 21st District Court.
Responding officers found Wallace dead inside a residence on Jefferson Cove, along with a spent .40-caliber Glock casing in a nearby closet.
Elgin police initially described the shooting as an isolated incident between acquaintances but said the arrests may indicate a broader investigation into illegal firearms trafficking.
According to an affidavit, a witness told investigators she observed a male argue with Wallace during a video call, point a gun at him and say he would shoot. She reported hearing the argument continue until a single gunshot rang out and the call went blank.
A suspect also told officers he was armed, pointed the gun at Wallace and pulled the trigger after Wallace moved toward him in an attempt to take the firearm, according to the affidavit.
