Auburn man arrested for September 2024 drive-by shooting

An Auburn man has been arrested and charged for the September 2024 shooting death of a transient man who was an innocent bystander during an attempted drive-by shooting in Auburn, according to charging documents.

According to documents, Francisco Gallegos-Barbosa, 29, is the suspect in the Sept. 3, 2024, fatal shooting of bystander Travis Jones, 35, on the corner of Ellingson Road and C Street SW. Gallegos-Barbosa was arrested in Federal Way on Feb. 5 by Valley SWAT.

Documents state that cellphone data linked to Gallegos-Barbosa had uncovered texts where he referenced the shooting and surveillance footage was found. Probable cause was found to arrest and charge Gallegos-Barbosa with second-degree murder. The Auburn Police Department also reported that they identified Gallegos-Barbosa as the suspect through forensic analysis.

“On Sept. 26, 2024, Auburn Detectives and Valley SWAT units conducted an operation that led to the arrest of multiple individuals connected to the case. With that arrest, Gallegos-Barbosa was ultimately identified as the driver and shooter involved in the incident,” the APD reported.

According to documents, Jones, a well-known transient man in the area, was seen on surveillance footage pushing a cart on the corner of Ellingson Road and C Street SW. The footage then showed two vehicles driving past Jones on Ellingson Road westbound toward C Street SW when another vehicle, a white Toyota Highlander believed to be linked to Gallegos-Barbosa, drove past the two cars at the same time, heading eastbound on Ellingson Road.

Documents state that surveillance footage then showed Jones fall to the ground, and eight shell casings were found at the scene in a linear position about 15 yards from Jones, making the incident consistent with a drive-by shooting.

“The actions of the white Toyota Highlander SUV, along with three other vehicles, resemble those of a drive-by shooting,” documents state. “The footage suggests that the SUV fired at the passing vehicles, and that Travis was an innocent bystander who was struck by a stray bullet fired from the SUV.”

According to documents, the Toyota Highlander had been chasing the two vehicles before the shooting and, after the shooting, continued to do so, chasing them through Auburn until they entered State Route 18. Documents state that on Sept. 10, a Toyota Highlander was found parked at an apartment complex in a private parking spot associated with an apartment belonging to Gallegos-Barbosa. The Toyota Highlander was reported stolen in July 2024.

Officers would then see the Toyota Highlander driven by Gallegos-Barbosa from Sept. 14 to Sept. 21, either by himself, or with several other males. On Sept. 26, officers pulled over the Toyota Highlander and located two males, an 18-year-old and a 16-year-old. The males did not give any information to the police, but the male’s cellphone data was reviewed, according to documents.

In that data, they found that Gallegos-Barbosa texted the 16-year-old male minutes after the shooting, and told him to check the police scanner. The next day, the 16-year-old male told Gallegos-Barbosa he wanted to buy a gun, to which Gallegos-Barbosa said he had been shooting at someone,, documents state.

Gallegos-Barbosa then told the 16-year-old that he is “burnt,” meaning he is in trouble, and then he told him that someone died by a 7-Eleven — there is a 7-Eleven near the scene of the shooting, documents state. Gallegos-Barbosa then told the 16-year-old that the car is burnt and law enforcement are everywhere.

Officers then retrieved other text messages in which Gallegos-Barbosa told someone the Auburn Police Department is after him for homicide.

Gallegos-Barbosa has a criminal history, including felony convictions for unlawful firearm possession, felony harassment and attempting to elude law enforcement, APD reported. Gallegos-Barbosa is in King County Jail, with bail set at $2 million.