Affidavit: Accused killer previously pleaded guilty to smuggling undocumented immigrants
The fingerprints of the man charged in connection with a 2016 murder were found inside the victim’s home, on an aluminum can, and on a bloody knife, a complaint affidavit obtained by ABC-7 states.
21-year-old Esteban Richard Andrada, of Ciudad Juarez, is charged with Capital Murder in the July 16, 2016 killing of 74-year old Carlos Valles Galindo.
Police officers were told to check up on the victim, who lived at a residence in the 11700 block of John Polley, after a relative called to report she had not heard from him in days.
When officers arrived, they found the elderly man dead from apparent stab wounds inside the home. The victim’s Chrysler PT Cruiser and electronic appliances were missing from the home, the complaint affidavit states.
Police said Andrada robbed Valles Galindo and burglarized the victim’s home before fatally stabbing him. Valles Galindo was a retired security guard and his gun, never returned to his former employer, was missing when police searched the home.
Police suspect Andrada stole the weapon.
Investigators initially found Andrada’s fingerprints on an energy drink can found inside the home. A woman who worked as a maid at the victim’s home told detectives Valles Galindo never drank energy drinks.
When police checked the can for prints, Andrada’s fingerprints turned up in a database. The suspect’s fingerprints were later found on a closet handle inside the home and a bloody knife found in the victim’s master bedroom.
Police did not say how they found Andrada. Officials would only say members of the United States Marshals Lone Star Fugitive Task Force took Andrada into custody Friday, March 3, 2017 in Downtown El Paso and turned him over to detectives.
Andrada was booked on a bond of $1,000,000 bond.
Court documents obtained by the ABC-7 I-Team state Esteban Richard Andrada pleaded guilty to “Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens” in New Mexico in March 2016.
The court document states Andrada allegedly admitted to transporting undocumented immigrants from El Paso to Southern New Mexico, where he was arrested. “I acted for financial gain. I knew what I was doing was illegal, but I did it anyway,” the court document states, referring to Andrada’s alleged admission.
Whether Andrada was eventually sentenced remains unclear. The court document states he was facing a punishment of up 10 years in prison and a fine not to exceed $250,000.
