Bryan Raul Castillo

Bryan Raul Castillo, a 21-year-old Hispanic/Latino man from El Paso, Texas, was an aspiring rapper known as GGRI$H who was remembered by friends as a kind and generous person. His friend, Flabio Salcido, described Castillo as a brother, recalling how they bonded over making rap music and talked about achieving bigger goals in life. Salcido said Castillo gave a lot to people, once bringing him groceries when he had no food. "He did a lot of good things for me, when I had nothing," Salcido said.

On the evening of May 14, 2024, Castillo’s life was cut short. According to investigators, he had picked up at least two relatives from the Ysleta border port of entry and told them he needed to stop to sell something. He drove to the Vista Village Apartments on Montwood Drive, where he planned to sell disposable THC vape devices. In the parking lot, he met with two males who arrived in a black four-door vehicle that had damage to its front. The buyers initially tried to get into Castillo’s car but changed their minds when they saw his relatives inside.

Castillo, holding a shoe box, then went to meet the men by their vehicle. El Paso police responded to reports of a shooting at the apartment complex around 7:16 p.m. They found Castillo in the parking lot with gunshot wounds. According to a criminal complaint, the driver of the black car had shot Castillo. The shooter then allegedly pointed a handgun at one of Castillo's relatives before driving away from the scene. Emergency crews rushed Castillo to Del Sol Medical Center, but he died from his injuries.

The El Paso Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons Unit, with assistance from the Gang Suppression Unit, launched a homicide investigation. Detectives learned from a witness that a drug deal had been arranged between Castillo and his alleged killer. The witness stated that the suspect later said he had shot Castillo and stolen the vape devices. Investigators found five boxes of THC cartridges in Castillo’s vehicle. Based on witness descriptions and surveillance, police located a vehicle matching the one from the scene.

On May 17, 2024, police arrested 17-year-old Aldo David Flores and charged him with murder. He was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility on a $500,000 bond. As of the latest court filings, Flores is awaiting trial. A plea hearing is scheduled for February 2025, with a jury trial set to begin in July 2025.