Lowell man arrested for firearm found in storage unit

Evwin Teo-Grijalva, 23, of Lowell, pleaded not guilty on April 1 to charges of distributing a class D drug, receiving an untraceable firearm, receiving stolen property, carrying a firearm without a license and possessing ammunition without a firearms identification card.

On March 9, police were dispatched to the Extra Space Storage location at 37 River St. According to the police report, the manager had called the police upon finding a duffel bag and a firearm magazine in a vacated unit. The manager stated he suspected the duffel bag had a firearm in it. Upon investigation, police found the magazine and a gun inside the duffel bag that matched the magazine. The gun’s serial number had been partially removed, leading police to suspect it was stolen. Results have not come back from the state crime lab to confirm this suspicion.

Police suspected that due to the construction of the units, the duffel bag and the magazine had fallen into the vacated unit from the unit above. The unit above was identified as being rented by Teo-Grijalva. Police obtained a search warrant for the unit and found suspected marijuana and accessories for vaping marijuana. Results have not come back from the state crime lab to confirm this suspicion. 

Teo-Grijalva reported to the Waltham Police Station on March 31 after hearing the police were looking for him, and consented to a recorded interview. During this interview, Teo-Grijalva said that he had moved his belongings into a storage unit on River Street during a short period when he was homeless. According to the police report, Teo-Grijalva said he found the gun at a party he attended in Mattapan during the summer of 2025 and kept it. After the interview, Teo-Grijalva was placed under arrest.

Judge Michael J. Callahan ordered that Teo-Grijalva be held without bail at Middlesex Jail on the basis of dangerousness. A pretrial hearing for the case is set for April 16. 

Additional court actions

Wensnoldjy Estime, 27, of Waltham, pleaded not guilty on April 2 to three counts of assault and battery on a family or household member subsequent offense, one count of intimidation of a witness, juror, police officer or court official, one count of unarmed and assault burglary and one count of trespassing. Judge Amanda Ward ordered that Estime be held without bail at Middlesex Jail on the basis of dangerousness. A probable cause hearing for these charges is set for April 29. 

Additionally, Estime will be extradited to Rhode Island to face a charge of second degree burglary. He is also being charged in Massachusetts with one count of being a fugitive of justice on a court warrant for evading the Rhode Island charge.